Uncommon
by CreedHeartIt
Summary: Loki has just been dropped off the bifrost, and much to his disgust, ended up on Midgard. Pre-Avengers, Post-Thor. It is only when he crosses paths with a girl, bent on revenge and fueled by her past, that he decides Earth may not be so blatantly boring after all. Loki/OC
1. Nyx

**Hey fanfic-ears! I've been thinking about my OC's lately, and I was wondering if you guys would like to see another? This one is very similar to the other, except she is.. darker. I thought I would show the darker side of Loki in this as well. Have no fear though, Nyx is only centered in the first chapter! The rest will be a compilation of both Nyx and Loki.*Yay***

**Anyways, enjoy the read, and try to suffer through the first chapter of no-Laufeyson-ness. I apologize, again, I just thought I would use this to make some backstory before getting into the good stuff. ;)**

**I do not own marvel or any of their characters who may appear in this story. I own Nyx and the storyline only. All other content goes to it's rightful owners. Rated T as I'm assuming things will get a little.. T-ish in the later chapters. Have no fear though, I don't plan on making this a smutty story.**

**Loki has just been launched off the bifrost after his encounter with Thor, and he has conveniently landed on Midguard. Nyx, a girl who has known hate for much longer than any girl of their teenage years should, meets our young Prince Loki in a chance encounter. When he realizes she is different than other mortals, and may not even be human herself, what will become of them?**

She was completely, and totally at ease. She was in her domain. It was night time, and she was certain one could not feel calmer than she felt at the very moment.

Towering willows concealed her in drapes, silhouetted against the silvery gaze the moon cast upon the forest. It was a good place to study, as far as studying spots went.

She was simply a girl, seventeen, and not yet knowing her place in the world. She knew it would in fact be odd for high school students such as herself to have already figured out their entire future, but she had a feeling she was slightly more clueless than the others. She in fact had no idea, not a single glimpse or thought about where she was to end up in the world. Some pursued honourable jobs such as doctors, or surgeons. She, on the other hand, simply preferred to leave the page blank, and allow her life to write the story for her. She was constantly scolded for this.

"Nyx! I know you're up there. It's time for dinner." A voice echoed from below her, as she was stationed considerably high in the willows. She pinpointed the voice as her father, and quickly decided not to argue. He would have none of it, after all.

"On my way." She grumbled, just loudly enough for him to catch her words. She knew he would not be happy with her tone. He was never happy with anything she did, so what use was it to try? These sort of thoughts plagued her brain the majority of her time. That she was not enough. That she had no place even making an effort to do better; it would never be good enough.

She slipped through the branches with ease, her small figure allowing her much easier mobility than those of the bulkier build. She was thankful for this, and quickly landed with no more than a barely audible thud, absently folding up the book she had been pouring over. Reading was a passion of hers.

"If you're done with the acrobats, you can come set the table while the food cools off a bit." Her father said sternly, swiveling on his heels with a final look of annoyance directed towards her. She opened her mouth to let out some sort of witty quip, but resisted the urge. Retorting never worked with her father, and if anything, it got her into more trouble.

"You shouldn't spend so much time up in trees, you know. You might hurt yourself." Her father said, feigning concern as they ambled down the dirt path into the valley below, where their quaint little farm was placed. It had been inherited land, and Nyx did most of the work anyways.

"Forgive me. I didn't think you cared about my whereabouts." She muttered in response, knowing she would later regret it. She always did.

"Of course I care." He said flatly, showing no real emotion for her wellbeing. She snorted softly and picked up her pace so that she was able to move around him. Being slow was never really her thing. "You know I do." He finished, just barely loud enough seeing as she was now at the foot of the house.

"You really show it." She muttered under her breath to no one in particular, knowing he was out of earshot. If she had the energy, she may have even gone off on her own rant as she entered the kitchen. Instead, she began to lay out cutlery.

"Grab the milk too." Her father said, slumping down in one of the chairs and reclining against the backing with a grunt. She shot him a look of disdain and reluctantly obeyed, placing the milk down harshly on the table in front of him. He took no notice of this, and instead looked so intrigued in the T.V, she almost had the urge to slap him. Not that this urge wasn't common in the household. Being seventeen, she could not wait to turn of age and be able to leave.

Dinner passed by in a blur, and Nyx was headed off to her room before she knew it. She could not help but admit she was happy to be away from her father. In all his drunk glory, it wasn't the best of sights to behold. It normally involved him wearing a pair of trashy sweatpants in front of the T.V, and having a conversation with the officials of whatever sport pleasured his fetish that night. Although it could be quite comical at times, Nyx was merely not in the mood for jokes that night. She found herself lounging on her bed in her pajamas; a pair of old soccer shorts and a simple hoody. It felt good to relax again, after she had been disturbed in her reading earlier that evening.

"Nyx! C'mere!" His voice was sluggish in comparison to other nights, and she contemplated ignoring him.

"I'm going to count to three!" He shouted, following this up with a loud, alcohol-filled belch. She was absolutely disgusted, but elected not to comment on his sudden outburst.

"One.. Two.. The-" She cut him off midway through "I'm coming! Calm down!" The acid in her tone was rather clear. She did not want to have to deal with him at the present time. She had enough on her mind.

Quickly moving through the corridor, she came up behind him with a scarce huff of annoyance, pale greenish-gray eyes alive with rage. Her temper was never controllable around him, and she had no wishes of working on it. He did not care about how he acted around her, with his alcohol habits, and so she would return the actions of carelessness.

"Lose the sass kid. I want you to run to the shop for me, we're out of eggs and I'm feeling eggy." His lack of grammatical sense made her stiffen. It was he who corrected her when she made a wrong move in the ways of speech, yet she tolerated his drunken babbling? Eggy. Pathetic. Her thoughts made a ghost of a frown appear on her face. She simply wiped away the expression and steeled her features. She would not take any more of this.

"No." She said this simply, knowing there would be hell to come for the simple-ness of it. In all of it's two-lettered glory, she had endured many of her fathers rages due to it. He hated when she acted defiant. He hated it so much, and she enjoyed to see him when he was annoyed.

"What did you say?" Her turned to look at her, eyes glazed over no thanks to the several empty beer cans by his side. She scowled at the sight of the mess she would end up cleaning up.

"Drinking doesn't affect hearing, nice try." With this, she stepped around the recliner so that she was in front of him, anger practically clouding her thoughts of sanity. She wanted so badly to hurt him after how he had treated her.

"No isn't an answer, girly." He said this mockingly, the bitter scent of several too many drinks wafting off of him, nauseating her.

That was it. She was completely, and utterly, done. She bent forwards, encircling his throat with her own hands and applying enough pressure to hurt him severely. He choked in response and attempting to pry her off in defense. She merely grinned, a sort of malice hidden beneath her features. "No." She loosened her grip enough so that he stuttered and his intakes became sharp gasps. "Did you hear me clearly that time, David?" She did not dare call him Dad, or something a daughter would normally refer to her father as. The thought of it disgusted her.

"C..rystal." He seemed to muster up his last bit of breath to say this, his face reddening with the need for air. She moved backwards, bringing her hands back to her sides in one fluent motion.

"Good luck with the farm. I'm leaving." She murmured, striding back to her room as quickly as her legs would carry her. The meaning behind her words were true as they had come out of her, and she knew it would have happened sooner or later. With only a father to take care of her, and an alcoholic, abusive, intolerant one at that, was not enough. Her mother had died shortly after she had begun school, and this had only made things worse between Nyx and her father. She did not remember how he had been before her death, but if he had been alright enough to get with a woman such as her mother, she had figured tolerating him would be the least she could do.

But now it was it. She could handle it no longer, and so she began to stuff her clothing and a few school books into her knapsack. One final burst of adrenaline fueling her even further as to snatch up as much food as she could. Her father still sat in the chair, eerily silent. She hadn't expected a fight anyways.

"Bye David. Enjoy your life." She said out loud, earning a small flinch of his shoulder in response.

With that, she turned on her heels, fighting the instinct that told her to turn around and beat him senseless. No. That was not what she intended to do.

She continued towards the door, shouldering the screen door open with such force, the hinges gave way. She bit her lip and prowled farther, into the night, tired and weary from the night's unexpected events. More than a few times, the sound of a twig snapping, or distant shouts would lead her to believe her father was pursuing her, she would pick up into a sprint.

One time too many, it seemed.

She ran headlong into the trunk of the thing, it's massive height billowing above her, foliage cascading in curtains around her as she stumbled backwards, only to collapse. Her head ached beyond that she had ever known. She did not make a sound. She could not. Time seemed to freeze as she lay there, a thin stream of blood pooling up on the soft earth next to her.

Her eyes shut before she could stop them, rendering the world around her to darkness. The figure of a woman was not shrouded from her though. It was suttle, but she could make out her outline. She seemed to speak in a hushed tone.

"Go to sleep, Nyx."

She would recognize that voice anywhere. The telltale accent that tinged her words thickly, the way she always seemed to sound as though things were get better. The mere sound of her words forced a ripple that shot through her body. Perhaps it was just a figment of her imagination, but she lost consciousness that night to her mother leaning over her, tucking her into sleep as she had done so many times before.


	2. Interest

Darkness. And heat. Painfully strong heat. His head felt as though someone were trapped inside, and fighting tooth and nail, and quite possibly hammer to get out. He emitted a drawn-out groan, finding his vocals rather raspy, his throat following up with a sort of dry pain that made him cough. It took him a while, but the prince regained his composure and took in his surroundings.

It was not a realm he was familiar with, but it may as well have been Hel. He remembered in sudden detail how he had come about this realm. The bifrost, his broth-.. He could not bring himself to finish the thought. Thor was not his brother. As if on cue, his head seemed to push itself into overdrive, pounding rapidly at the mention of the Asgardian. What he was not. He frowned and resisted the thoughts, instead making an attempt at concentrating at the problem at hand.

Everything around him seemed fragmented. Like he was in some sort of surreal fantasy world, with knights in shining armour, and dragons, and heroes with corresponding damsels in distress. It all seemed too fake. The way the moonlight glinted at an odd angle against the body of water at his front, then passed through the trees and was reflected once again by another pond-like thing. It was entirely odd. Shadows cast where they should not have been, and sunlight coming at him from every possible direction. It was all so green as well, which he appreciated mildly. The fact that he saw doubles led him to believe the fake world around him had been tampered with by some sort of brain trauma he had received from the fall.

That was not what bothered him most though. He could absently hear the bustling of cars on streets in the distance, aggravated drivers shouting at one another. This brought a ghost of a smile to his expression. He wanted nothing more than to rest at that moment, but the temptation of fooling around with a few unsuspecting mortals was too much to ignore.

He began through the foliage, straight towards the treeline, as he could now scarcely hear the sounds through the thin forest.

The young prince grew accustomed to the terrain rather easily, his fluid and agile movements allowing him easy access through the trees. They hunkered above him rather plainly, actually, and he was surprised they did not provide more of a challenge. He was more used to the Asgardian forests, alive with creatures of predator and prey, with obstacles of terrain and shrubbery. The Midguardian forests seemed not-so-grand compared to them.

Dismissing the thoughts of Asguard from his mind at once, he arrived at his destination in short minutes.

The buildings were towering above him, with mirroring walls of glass encasing them from the outside. The busy streets were packed full of the sounds of idle chatter between people. The distant smell of seawater brought to his attention that he was in fact on some sort of island. The thought intrigued him, and he began further into the city.

Many gave him odd glances, which he merely returned with dark looks. He was certain his armour caused him this attention, but he made no point to leave himself vulnerable in the soft mortal clothes any time soon. He much preferred his leather and metal over a plain t-shirt and jeans any day.

"Excuse me sir, ah, sorry, you look a tad lost. Do you need any directions?" The minute he felt the impact of a hand on his back, whether it was just a light touch to grab his attention, he froze.

"Do not touch me." He snarled, so only the human whom had so boldly chosen to make contact with him heard the threat. The pressure was lifted, and he turned to see an offended-looking young boy turn and begin to walk away. He smirked and continued walking.

They were weak. All of them. He could feel their aura, their emotions. They were simpleminded, full of thoughts of joy, and carefree wishes. He was rather appalled by them. He mused over the idea of causing a bit of havoc, but immediately halted himself mid-plot. Chaos would have to wait, as his head only further pushed him near his edge of pain as he further continued into the city, snaking down alleys every now and then to avoid contact with another. It was a rather tiresome job, avoiding others, and he soon resulted to a dead-ended sidepath that branched off from one of the less busy streets. He was still close enough to the forest that if he needed to return, it would not take very long.

That was when the mortal passed by. Her aura was different, dispelled with a vicious sort of mirth. It had in it mixed angers, and this brought him to his senses once again. Why did this mortal's emotions entrance him so?

He was the God of Mischief. Being mischievous just seemed to come to him naturally, as it should, and so he found himself following the mortal girl.

She did not have a hope of discovering him, as he could not have been more practiced in the art of stealth. He did not even call forth his abilities of invisibility as he trailed her.

She seemed to stick to the shadows often, cautiously checking her back ever-so-often. It did not cause him much trouble though, as he was able to avoid her constant glances by ducking behind corners. He was almost caught once as she stopped and did a full turn, but was able to duck into another side-street. He kept a safe distance from then on.

It was when she stopped to rest just outside a rundown restaurant that he peeled away from the wall he had been pressed against, and crossed the road quickly as he dared. The mortal girl was still in his view, quite clearly due to his enhanced senses, and he was able to get a good shot of her.

At first glimpse, one may have considered her just another female, but he knew better. A naturally tanned complexion, and platinum blonde hair that seemed to be naturally curled, and reached slightly more than midway down her back, with green eyes that he daresay rivaled his own. Although he did not want to admit it, at first sight one would define her as beautiful. Gorgeous even. Although, he could not see her figure beneath, as her clothes did not exactly reveal much; a raven coloured hooded sweatshirt with some sort of wording on the front, light grey shorts that reached just below her knees, and leather boots that went the height of her shins. And to top off the already rather ragged apparel, she was carrying a violet bag that he recognized to be a knapsack. It did not nearly match the intricate workings of Asgardian armour the prince was used to. He even admitted to being mildly surprised that she had chosen to dress like this. It did not do much for her at all, and he found him chuckling at the thought that he was judging her on her appearance. Her aura alone was enough to interest him.

She rose from her place on the steps of the building, and began to cross the street in long strides. He also took to note her height. Easily about a foot shorter than him, and her legs seemed to make up most of that length. Lost in thought, he was temporarily blanked out, brought back by the sound of a feminine voice. It was soft, but he could easily hear the hidden boldness behind it. The way her accent seemed to meld with her words was rather interesting as well.

"I don't exactly recall knowing you, but if you do in fact have a reason for looking at me the way you just did, please, I would love to hear your explanation." She said, gripping the straps of her bags so tightly, he caught sight of her knuckles turning white. She was nervous to confront him. At least he had made somewhat of an impression.

"I was merely out for a stroll, my lady. I'm not sure what you mean." He answered, straightening up and rising to his full height. He could see her glare falter, but she showed no sign of hesitating to speak.

"Well if you would restrain from watching me in the future, I would be very appreciative." He recognized her accent as Irish. The few times he had visited midguard in his existence, he had never come across one from another culture visiting a land which was not their own.

"It is hard not to, but I apologize." He held his hands up, a smirk tugging on the corners of his mouth, her expression plastered with disgust.

"I'll be on my way then." She said, dipping her head in a show of parting, and whipping to face the other way once again. She continued down the street, not even suggesting a last glance at the prince.

Something about her had struck something in him. She was not as naive as other mortal girls in which he had been involved with. She was in her own way, strong. He could feel that radiating from her with a sort of intensity that brought him back to following her. He could not bring himself to explain why this female made him feel so curious, perhaps she was just playing something. He knew from past experiences not all midguardians were so plain, and boring.

This one, though.. He shook his head and continued after her.

After several minutes of walking, in which he was forced to summon his invisibility, in order to cloak himself as she made her way to the forest, he would no longer have buildings to hide behind.

So interested in watching her, he had not watched his step. Snap. He nearly yelled at himself for making such a fool's mistake. She spun around, clearly not afraid that she may have just realized she was being followed. Her eyes showed everything from anger to complete rage. She knew full well it was him.

"I remember telling you to back off." She said through clenched teeth, her back now to the forest. She could have sprinted headlong into the cover of the towering woods and been off, but instead she had chosen to confront him. His will to draw nearer to her, find out what had made her so.. He could not place his finger on the trait. It left him speechless. That was possibly one of the hardest things one could manage.

"I don't have time to deal with odd men in costumes. Leave, and maybe I won't call the cops on you." Her tone was threatening, and he could see her body shudder. Maybe she was intimidated.

He called forth a bit of his magic, just enough to allow him to materialize behind her. Surely she would be frightened then.

"You would not go so far as to do that, now would you?" His voice was cold, his lips just inches from her ear. She did not show any signs of moving.

"Listen. I don't know who you are, but I do not understand why you are troubling yourself with me. Please. Go." Her words cut through the air like a blade. They felt like a caressing touch to his ears. He had cracked her, and only because he was so proud of his fine work, he moved around to her front, gazing into the pale green eyes with a snicker.

"I must come off as so rude. I have not even asked your name, my lady." After the pain he had endured, it felt good to let off a bit of his tolled up anger with a bit of antagonizing. Strangely enough, her fear was soon replaced with a sweet smile. He just could not get a read on her.

"My name is Nyx. As in the Greek goddess of the night, and yours?" She seemed much too casual, especially since he had just realized a cleverly stowed away mass of blood by her right ear. It seemed to have come from a gash near her temple. He had to harness himself from reaching out and healing the wound right then and there.

"Loki. As in the Norse god of mischief. I must say, Lady Nyx, you seem rather brave for a simple girl speaking to a strange man in a.. What did you refer to it as? A costume." He answered, his voice silky and calm once again. If he meant to scare her, he would have to take a different approach, as she seemed quite skilled in the ways of confidence.

"I am not a simple girl, and you do not seem the man you claim to be. Attempting to scare girls by following them through the city at night? That is quite low, Loki." Her response was plainly stated, as if she was playing her own game. She seemed to be enjoying every second of it. That would not do well for him at all.

"I am not who you think me to be. Believe me, I could do things that even your defiant little mind could not handle." He smiled a bit, not teasingly, but as if he was enjoying the game from his side as well. He found himself amused in her.

"I'm no stranger to violence. Give it your best shot." Any show of enjoyment was clear of her features now, and replaced with a sort of pain Loki found familiar.

"Never say you didn't ask me for what is to come, Nyx."


	3. Discovering Truths

"Loki.." She snarled, pure fear antagonizing her from within, and plaguing her self control. She could not explain what was going on.

"You have no idea, the things I am capable of." His whisper was like velvet against her ear, his chilling breath abnormally cold against the skin of her neck.

Just as she swung out in another doomed-to-fail attempt at trying to smack him, he disappeared again, only to reappear on her other side.

"I could do things that no one would even dare to challenge." His voice was sinister, full of promise. She knew he was only saying such things to bother her, but something about his tone set her off. A thought rang out in her mind, that maybe he was not lying. She could not even bring herself to think about how he seemed to be.. Teleporting around her. She lashed out again with a fist, dearly hoping to make contact with him.

"You were closer that time. Perhaps you should control your swings more. Show some precision." He murmured softly from behind her, not even sounding the least bit out of breath. His voice did not even betray him with a hint of fatigue. Surely he could not go on forever? This sudden realization scared her horribly, and she quickly focused on real time, too afraid to become caught up in her own thoughts, something that happened all too often with Nyx.

A gasp pulled a massive intake of air into her lungs as the world around her seemed to bend momentarily. It was as though someone had placed a blindfold over her eyes momentarily, and spun her around a few times. She stumbled aimlessly, only to be caught by a pair of arms.

When she regained focus after a few moments of confusion, she wished she had passed out more than anything. Around her, there seemed to be many different Lokis, all identical, all watching her with his trademark jovial grin. She looked up, and found herself to be in the arms of one. Something told her this one was in fact, the real Loki.

"Get away from me Loki. I swear on my grave, I will hurt you." She said, placing as much malevolence in her words as possible as she stepped out of his arms, and into the centre of the circle of Lokis.

"You still find yourself able to fight me, mortal?" He answered, all of the copies speaking in unison. His voice seemed to amplify around her.

"I don't wish to fight you Loki. I don't know what you are, but it sure as hell is not human." She mustered her courage and turned a full circle in order to quickly pass her gaze over each figure. She could not pick up a difference between any of them, nor could she figure out a way she could take on so many with just her own two hands.

"Quite right. I am not a human. Although I was not perfectly certain at first, I realize now you are different." He said icily from every direction, emerald pools entrancing her within a sort of mischievous glare. Nyx did not dare to break her eye contact with him.

"How so?" She answered, finding her words to be rather pathetic, not embodying the bravery she had wished they would. Instead, she sounded as though any moment she would retreat to the woods and cower under a bush.

"I find you to be very uncommon.. Rare, if you prefer. Something about your aura, your feel is different. I do not expect you to understand, but to take my words as truth. I simply to not believe you are a human." A ghost of a smile appeared on his blank expression as he declared the final few words. He had not been earlier able to pinpoint the difference, but now it was clear. Her atmosphere was so strong because she was not normal. He could sense magic deep within her, but knew full well that she had not yet felt it herself. Although why a magical being had ended up on such a paltry realm as Midguard baffled him.

"I remember very well that Loki was also referred to as The God of Lies. Why should I trust your judgment on me? I was born to this world just as anybody else. Tell me Loki, why should I believe you?" She felt slightly more confident as their conversation carried on. He was in fact, just trying to scare her. She decided this was the most likely explanation.

"You are correct about my being referred to as The God of Lies." He paused, retracting his many forms into his one real one. His magic would disperse before he was able to frighten her further. "That does not mean I do not tell the truth every so often." He stepped closer to her, noticing a sudden change in her stature. A shudder ran through her entire body, and this only fed him onwards. "You are truthfully-" His smirk widened at the sound of this word "A being in which I have not come across before. I cannot read your mind as I can others. It is as though you have some sort of mental barrier, but I can also sense some sort of.. Magic, per se. I could train you, Nyx. You could be powerful, you could master the art of illusion, and conjuration, and trickery." He concluded, looking down upon her with his own version of respect; a smile. Not a grin any longer, but a smile. Whether it was sincere, Nyx could not tell. The way he seemed to roll the last word longer than the rest, as if he were testing her reaction to it was not exactly reassuring.

"What is your full name, Nyx?" He asked politely, sensing her discomfort and setting himself down on a nearby boulder, patting the empty space next to him in a gesture for her to join him. She did not move, but instead contemplated pelting him with the nearby stones at her disposal. She wanted nothing more to frighten and hurt him as he had just previously done to her. Although the more she thought about it, what he had done was rather harmless.

"My full name is Nyx Fray." She visibly winced at the mention of her parents, sheepishly struggling to hide her pained expression by pulling up her hood and feigning shivers. It would never work though. The humidity was a beast on it's own, only adding to the heat.

"Well, Lady Fray, you do not believe yourself to be magical. That much is obvious." He aimed to sound comforting, and his effort was visible. "So maybe you need to convince yourself that much." He shrugged casually and observed her intently, aiming to catch her eyes in his own, as if to measure their emotion, hoping it would show some form of interest in his words.

She did not give him the pleasure, but remained to seem interested in the complete other direction. Typically, he may have ordered her to turn and face him, or possibly teleported in front of her, but he knew he would get no satisfaction from this. She would just continue to turn away. She was not yet that afraid that she would not defy him.

"When I was four, my mother died in a car accident." She said, her voice little more than a whisper. "I do not remember anything before that. All I do recall is being told of her incident." She took in a drawn out breath, struggling to find the right words to continue. Why was she telling him this? "My father never told me I was special. He never treated me more than.. The way a boss treats his employee. He never even said he liked me, much less loved me." She shook her head. "I left a few days ago. We lived on a farm just off the north shore, beyond a forest. I came here hoping to start a new life. Find a job, grow bonds with others." She neglected to mention exactly how much she had longed for comfort the past few days. "Do you know what that's like Loki? I only ever want to be something, to do something. Although I am not sure just yet what."

She balled her hand into clenched fists now, all signs of fear having long since disappeared from her features. She had simply accepted Loki was not human. It did not come so easily as to why she had grown accustomed to this, after being raised with the idea that the world was in black in white. That the world consisted of no variety. Now, here came this man, claiming she was magical, and displaying his own abilities, practically placing her on the verge of a heart attack in the process. "And then you show up, all clad in metal and leather. You act like you're some sort of god."

Loki smiled at this.

"You scare the freaking crap out of me, and seem to enjoy it." She turned to face him, pulling back her hood, the ivory curls flowing loosely, matted down somewhat with grime. An abrupt thought of how much she desperate longed for a shower rose to her mind, but she quickly pressed it back and returned to her train of though. "And finally, here comes the good part. You tell me I'm not even human. Any idea how I feel right now? You come here and tell me my entire life is a lie, that I am not what I have been raised to be. That I'm some sort of.. Creature." She snapped the last sentence, dragging on through creature as if to add dramatic effect to the word. It seemed to work in the least bit, as Loki grimaced.

Rising from his perch in the next few moments, the smile nowhere to be seen, and slowly sauntering towards her, she truly took a look at him. His natural build seemed to be rather tall and lean, but still visibly muscular. His armour added to the bulk more so, with straps of leather and green cloth draped across him, golden gauntlets wrapped around his arms and to the beginning of his elbows. A cape did not seem to be present, and for this she was thankful, because only then would Nyx truly believed Loki had literally stepped right out of a comic book. To add to the already intimidating look, slicked back raven hair that quite easily managed to brush just below his shoulders, piercing green eyes that definitely doubled hers on the uncommon meter, and defined cheekbones that would have put a skeleton to shame. His skin was the hue of alabaster, which all the more added to his look. Even though she would not go so far as to mention it aloud, she found him very handsome.

After a few more seconds of this, she figured he would read her expression, and mentally scolded herself for thinking such thoughts. It took her a few seconds to realize how close Loki now was to her, after she had drifted off thinking about his appearance.

He stopped so that their chests just grazed each other, sending a ripple through her body once again, causing her entire figure to break out in uncontrolled trembling. Why did he bring her such anxiety? It could not have been that she was afraid of him, because after all, she was supposedly 'Not human'. She did admit that he did leave a lasting impression, what with his eccentric, sinister attitude, and undefined grace to everything he did. That was not important though. What mattered was the issue at hand, which had indeed proven to be very troublesome, considered she was now questioning her entire existence.

"I know what it is like." His eyes were vacant, although his expression told a tale of sorrow, and some hidden pain. "To be lied to."

His next few words could have been a stab in the throat for all Nyx felt. His voice was fluent, and plain. It mirrored his emotion. It truly showed he had no fun in admitting this.

"Welcome to my twisted world, Lady Nyx. I assure you, it is not so different from your own story."

**I'm sorry this isn't a very long chapter! I may have another ready for tomorrow later on in the night. If it isn't up by then, expect it the next day. **

**I must sleep now, so if you can, leave a review and tell me what you think. I'm always open for suggestions and criticism. (:**


	4. Denial and Promise

Her brain seemed to go off inside her skull, nearly screaming the answer to her questions. She remembered reading about Norse mythology for a school report which had not seemed important thus far. Oh, how she was so incredibly mistaken.

"Loki Odinson. The trickster, Liesmith, Asgard, Thor." She whispered meekly, taking a considerably large step backwards as the information seemed to fly into her brain in sudden jolts. "You're not real. This is a sick joke, whoever you are." She shook her head frantically, pressing her hands against her temples as if her brain were about to spontaneously combust. She wasn't exactly certain it would not, under the circumstances that the man in front of her claimed, and had all of the traits of the one god whom she had done a school project on. She actually found it quite ironic, but still failed to believe it was actually him.

"I swear to you Lady Nyx, this is real. You seem to be familiar enough with my story. Tell me, what were you expecting from the God of Mischief?" He answered, visibly tensing his jaw at the mention of the words Odinson and Thor.

"I.. Leave. Leave right now. I can't believe I've told you about my mother.. And.. I don't even know who you are!" She shrieked, barely able to restrain herself from punching him. A tug in the back of her mind urged her further though, it held her high, and it made her feel as though something big was about to take place.

"Your mother the pathetic mortal." He corrected her, stepping forwards to meet her, their faces mere inches apart once again. If looks could kill, the glare Nyx shot out would have made Loki simply implode. She was swelling with vehemence, and it was all-too-obvious. Loki would play her on if she continued to display her emotions.

"Never speak about her like that. I am a human too." She snapped threateningly, the tug in the back of her mind now causing some sort of tingling to well up in her neck. It convulsed through her body in evenly strong torrents. She could not explain the feeling, but it felt as though she would indeed let loose the pressure any given moment.

"Come now, my lady, you do not truly believe she was actually your mother. She was weak, and you are not a human, nor are you her daughter." That was all it took. Nyx finally allowed the now welled-up energy free. It felt amazing. As if she was in control of the world around her. The tingling overtook her entire body, and within seconds, Loki was several yards away. On the ground. Nyx had not laid a finger on him, and she had not knowingly pushed him.

The feeling diminished, followed up by complete shock. She could not register at all what had just happened in her already numb mind. Never had she been so furious at anyone, much less a man who claimed he was a god. "I need to go." Was all she squeaked, taking off in a full-on sprint towards the tree line. She was determined to put a distance between her and Loki, no matter how depleted she felt after the sudden outburst.

"You know it is useless to run, yet you try to get away." She slid a few feet to an abrupt stop, Loki having appeared in front of her. "Why is it that you fear me?" He mused, giving her a quizzical look as if he did not already know the answer.

She let out a snarl, an inhuman sound which she had not even known herself capable of. This encouraged her to run further into the depths of the forest, branches of leaves and other such greens curling around her like tendrils illuminated by the silvery moonlight. It gave her chills to the bone, like she assumed the very trees would grab her mid-run.

"Just stop running from it." Another Loki flashed in front of her. She swiveled on her heels, meaning to take off in the opposite direction, but was met by the gaze of another. She soon realized he was right. Her running would not help the situation, and she should have just given up then and there. Her pride and sanity did not allow it. The tingling began in her head, just as before.

"Get away from me." She threatened, her voice tinged with malice. The odd feeling spread further, flushing over her still shuddering form in waves as it had before. She could allow it loose any time she felt was right.

"You know I will not oblige to your petty commands." If anything, it was the perfect time to retaliate. She discharged the energy within less than a second, nearly collapsing with the feeling of dizziness the effort brought upon her. Although much to her satisfaction, Loki was stationed on the ground again, a small groan escaping his lips. She pivoted as quickly as her fuzzy thoughts allowed her to, and created more ground between them.

"Stop this." She rammed into the tall figure as soon as it materialized in front of her. He did not even stumble, while she succumbed to the growing feeling of tension in her mind and receded backwards, her ankle catching on an ironically placed root, causing her entire figure to fall to the ground. Her head itself throbbed to no end, but she did not seem to acknowledge the oncoming threat before he was standing right above her.

An icy hand closed itself in the fabric of her sweater, the grip very firm, but not enough to stutter her breathing as she was raised to her feet. She grasped the extended arm in protest, but found her thoughts too befuddled to really put in the effort fending him off required.

"Listen closely, Nyx." He moved so that his lips were little more than an inch from her ear. His breath creeping down her nape, leaving goosebumps in their path. "You do not know the first thing of what you are."

She was now relying fully on him for support, her hands entwined in the layers of his shoulder gear in a sad attempt at keeping herself upright. "I could teach you. Together, we could be powerful. You could become important, and finally know what you are meant to do. Is that not what you wish for, my lady?" She could hear the faint gravelly edge in his voice. It had been there the entire time, but she had been too distracted earlier to notice it. She recognized it to be some show that he had been previously involved in some sort of fight, long before he had found her. The thought that he had fought another, possibly such as herself made her breath come out shakily.

"Tempting, but I'll pass." She found purchase on the plates of his back armour, and gripped them tightly, her legs still feeling slightly like pudding. She was in truth, quite exhausted, and didn't seem fazed at all by the fact that she was practically leaning into his chest. "I don't believe anything that is going on right now, to be honest." She said tauntingly, the anger seemingly dispersed from her system. She worked hard to convince herself that she had indeed pushed him earlier, instead of manipulating some sort of hidden magic, and the tingly feeling was just a side effect to her fatigue.

"What more do you need to prove it, Nyx?" His voice was infuriated, as if he was becoming frustrated about her unwillingness to accept that she was indeed not a simple human. "You are very troublesome." He muttered, stepping back. She plunged to the ground in front of him, having lost her only support. "And tired, it seems." He added, looking down upon her with some form of concern.

He was the God of Mischief, for Odin's sake! He should not have felt the need to help her up, to comfort her. But he did. There was no doubt that he felt something different towards her as he lounged on the ground, taking up a spot next to one of the billowing trunks, and propping his back up against it to rest. It was blasphemy, the fact the he somehow cared for her so much, that he brought himself to conjure up a strip of material that would act as a blanket for her. It was in a shade of green, rather dark, and very similar to that of his cape he had been presently wearing it. He leaned down so that his lips brushed her ear lightly.

"Sleep well, Lady Nyx. Tomorrow,you will know this life no longer." He was being completely honest. The next day, she would wake up and be in his possession. He would force her to see reason, gently, if it was required, but eventually she would comply. Something about her was rather entrancing. The way her story nearly matched his own, although he had already endured the pain of being told the truth. She would not have to. She could believe her parents were mortal for as long as she wanted, but only until he was able to uncover what she was, and what her past was.

Loki himself did not even know what ground he had to act on. She appeared mortal, but her thoughts were her own. He could not enter her mind as he could others, but could feel her aura just as clearly. It was stupefying, how much she troubled him. Loki had in fact, never encountered such a thing that brought him to a loss for words before. It should have made him angry, but instead made him want to know her. He wanted to learn everything about her, and uncover her secrets, her lies, her truths, her pasts. She was like the book he longed to read, but was out of his reach.

He was broken from his thoughts as she stirred, seemingly restlessly. If he were to bring himself to, he could have stilled her with a simple calming spell, but he was too intrigued in what she was doing; moving towards him.

Although he knew full well she was not presently conscious of her movements, he found it quite amusing that she naturally seeked the presence of others, even in a sleeping state. "Nyx, you are a very interesting female." He said softly as she found her way up against the tree he had reclined to sit against. Her head was rested on his shoulder as he let out a breathless chuckle. She should have hated him. She would hate him when she awoke to his face once again. She would try to deny the truth, but he would convince her of the reality. Loki would make her see that he was her best option.

"I am your only option actually." He spoke to himself, finding a bit of entertainment in this thought. Here she was, a powerful being with hidden potential. Yet she lived the average life of a dull mortal street crawler. It was rather horrible, really, that she had been discarded from normal life. It was this part of his thinking that truly brought him to think of past events he had all but tried to forget. Loki had been cast off his home, just as she had. He was doing to her what Odin had done to him; feeding her the truth after too long a period of time full of lies. It brought him incredible displeasure to think about it from this angle.

"You will not go through the pain I have. I will make certain of that." He murmured into her ear, the scent of greenery and copper rising from her skin. He recognized the sour fragrance to be blood, and gently brushed back a bit of her hair to reveal the wound he had seen earlier. It seemed to have reopened, and a thin stream had made it's way down her cheek and neck, settling to stain her sweater at the hem. The gash itself was a rather long slit just ahead of her ear, drawing across from the bottom of her temple to the tip of her chin.

Loki had never exactly known sympathy, or concern for that matter, but he quickly managed to wipe up the mess with the emerald blanket. Using water would have been a horrible mistake, and he knew that for certain. It would only wake her, and she would surely summon her magic again. This was something he did not look forward to, as he had already been knocked off his feet twice upon meeting her, and surely this was not doing very much good for his previously acquired head injury. Memories of falling off the bifrost flew through his mind, washing him over with more anger than before.

Loki did not know why he felt compelled to protect her, but he knew one thing. He would not betray her in the way the Asguardians, his 'family' had.

He would never do that to her.


	5. Persuade

Pinkish red light danced behind her eyelids, little spots of green here and there no thanks to the trees that surrounded them. Before she decided it was time to wake, a movement from beneath her head back her flinch. Ground definitely did not move.

Cautiously peering through one half-open eye, she took in her surroundings. The sun was rather blinding, as it somehow managed to peak before she had awoken. It shone through the greens that towered far above her, coming down upon the earth with a soft emerald hue. It would have seemed to be a marvelous sight, had Nyx forgotten what had waken her in the first place.

Another stirring under her head finally brought her to her full attention, and she brought her hands up to massage her eyes. Even considering how far she had overslept, lethargy still stuck around in her mind, slowing her thinking process slightly. It was rare to find her in such a drowsy state. She had always been a very alert person, and the feeling of not wanting to move, think, even to open her eyes was very alien to her. She pursed her lips and tried to gather the strength to sit up.

The tickle of warm air on her forehead. Another small movement beneath her head. Her eyes flew open almost immediately, a sudden surge of alertness awakening her senses.

"You should not react so quickly after waking. You've already got quite the head injury." A voice spoke from above her, startling her further. She could not pick up on the fact that she had not slept alone, which was something she had become accustomed to.

It was then that she realized what had woken her in the first place. His shoulder. She had actually, it hurt her to think of it from this perspective, but Nyx had actually used Loki as a pillow the previous night. The man who had literally terrorized her, as a pillow. She mustered up a sharp look and sent it his way. It was not so hard, considering she was nearly right below his face.

Pale green pools were trained solely on her face, and she could not help but notice how his hair had become slightly tousled. It only added to his look, and she had to mentally restrain herself from smiling.

Right on cue, her head began relentlessly pounding, only proving that he was correct about her injury.

"I can heal it if you would like-" She cut him off, snapping each word angrily. "No. No magic. There is no. Magic." She was more so trying to convince herself of this, and she knew he could pick out the doubt hidden within her words.

"If saying that pleases you, be my guest. You will not be able to deny it for long. It still surprises me you do not yet recognize your abilities after your demonstrations yesterday." He mused, openly trying to suppress a smile. She ignored him completely.

"Well if you're not going to speak, I was going to suggest a change of clothes." He said, half entertained by the breathless chuckle that escaped her lips.

"You trust me to go into the city and find a new pair of clothes? That's your biggest concern at the moment?" She smiled sheepishly as she realized he was right for the most part. Her sweater and shorts would not last much longer under the present conditions.

"Of course not. I was planning on.. Ah, how do I say it without implying the use of magic? Making. I'm simply offering to make you new apparel." He smirked.

"No magic. I'll pass."

She looked down upon the thin material she was seized in. A deep emerald blanket-like thing that felt much more comfortable than her current clothes. She pressed forwards, removing her head from his shoulder. Almost instantly a feeling of vulnerability passed through her mind. She almost moved right back up against him. It had been so long since she had the pleasure of another's company, and although it felt horrible to admit it, she felt safe the nearer he was to her.

She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, holding up the green material between to fingers. It had snagged an abundance of twigs and stray leaves over the night, and did not seem as impressive as when Loki had first placed it on her. In fact, it looked matted and wrinkled in her hand.

"What is this?" She managed to say this steadily, although her emotions were conflicted. She could not yet tell if he was just being friendly or further trying to play her towards him. The former night, he had been deliberately aiming to scare her, or so it seemed. Now he was acting as one may act to family. Like he cared for her. She would not accept this, as she knew him too well from the myths and legends. One of his nicknames, Silvertongue, came to mind. She knew he had a way for words, and would play it to his advantage.

"That is a blanket." He stated plainly, still seemingly trying to get a read on her as she was him. They both seemed mildly confused by the other, and neither enjoyed being clueless. In fact, Loki simply despised not having an idea what was going on. What with his remarkable intellect, it was shocking how much she still baffled him.

"And how did it end up here?" She continued, not sure where the conversation was going, as she was already rather certain he would simply say magic, and an argument would sprout between the two. She was definitely not in the mood for more yelling.

"I conjured it." A smile was playing on his lips now, looking slightly odd mixed in with the violet bruise-like hollows under his eyes. He looked rather exhausted, and for a few moments she felt bad for coming off as rude. The feeling dispersed as quickly as it had come, replaced by some form of annoyance.

"Why would you do that?" She rose to her feet, bringing the blanket up with her and inspecting it carefully. Loki would not simply create a blanket out of thin air for no apparent reason. That was unlike the God of Mischief she knew.

"I was afraid you would get cold?" He said pointedly, troubled by her simple questions. Loki could not bring himself to figure out what she was getting at. She truly antagonized him, her way with words somehow countering his own. Not enough to overly anger him, but enough to resist his tricks. It was as if she was fighting back without even purposely doing so.

"Why are you acting like this? You're supposed to be mischievous! And cruel, and frightening. You are not supposed to be sympathetic and.. I don't even know. Just stop it." She finally snapped, flailing her hands at him as if to express her point better. He stared at her in response, holding his hands up as if he were surrendering.

"I apologize. Would you prefer I acted as I normally do? I had no idea you would desire that side of my personality more." He allowed his hands to drop, instead adopting a more menacing tone and rising to his full height. She did not even flinch at this, which surprised him all the more. Did she ever stop changing her mind about him?

"What do you want from me, Loki?" She was stating the question which had been on her mind when he had first pursued her back in the city. She was no person of importance. Just a regular human. A human. Not this magical, celestial being in which he claimed she was. Again, with the mental convincing. Nyx desperately tried to get a grasp on this, although she found herself unable to deny it. Loki, the God of Lies, was speaking the truth. Her head thrummed, the pain seeming to intensify the more scrambled her thoughts became.

"It is not so simple a question you seek the answer of. Although if you want me to be completely honest, it is not something I want from you. Just you." He began to circle her, as if studying her from every possible incline or slant. She did not even dare to consider moving. Her instinct told her if she were to, he would act on it in some way that would not be beneficial to her. "Never before have I found someone so.. Interesting. Breathtaking, really. I cannot seem to get a read on you, no matter how I try. You continuously change. It is like you are purposely trying to keep me away by acting unfriendly. Like you won't accept companionship, or tell me anything. To say the least, it's very frustrating."

"I don't need your help. I just want to know why you want to help me? Magic or not, I'm sure you can find plenty of.. Maidens who suit your liking elsewhere." She answered coldly, catching his gaze as he finished his inspection and stopped in front of her.

"To be honest, I do not know why I wish to help you. That is what I find so interesting. It is an uncommon thing, to catch my attention. Might I add, appearance is no object to me, Lady Nyx, if that is what you are getting at." He sounded hurt by her words, which just added up to show how beaten down he seemed. He had admitted to coming from a similar background as her, and yet she still kept him out. She did not even believe in magic just yet. What her explanation was to all the current events, he did not know. "Just give me a chance to show you what it is like. To have power. To be in control." If his tone was not so vicious, she could have sworn he was pleading.

"Loki, you're not answering my questions. Just last night, you were trying to scare me. You were toying with me. Now you expect me to trust you with.. I don't know, my life?" She brought her hands up and literally pushed him. Nyx was never very good with controlling her anger, and as she stepped closer to the now surprised Loki, she would not give him the satisfaction of witnessing her wield magic once again. "You claim your story is the same as mine. So tell me. I'm all ears Silvertongue." She pushed him further, so that he stood backed up against one of the trees, startled. Nyx stood close enough to him so that she could she could just catch the fragrance that wafted from him; a mixture of the leather and what she assumed to be some sort of orchid.

"You want to know my past?" His voice came out like a snarl now. He reached up both arms, and before she could even think to retaliate, their places were reversed. She was pressed up against the tree, and he was closer than she remembered herself being. So close that their noses nearly brushed each other.

"You wish to know why I pursue you?" She nodded faintly, but it was enough for him to growl another few words. A shudder rippled down her spine, causing their faces to momentarily move closer. His words though.. Nyx dreaded them the moment they escaped his lips.

"Only if you come with me."

**Thank-you all for favouriting and adding to story alerts! I'm happy you're enjoying the Loki-ness as much as I am. I apologize for the shorter chapter, but I tried to make up for it with a cliffhanger at the end! **

**I've been wondering if you fanfic-ers would like longer/shorter chapters, or if you want me to keep it the way it is? Feedback is always welcome. (:**


	6. His Own Game

Her breath hitched in her throat. He waited in silence for an answer that would have to come. She had no choice, as she was sure he would not give up on his cause. He would stop at absolutely nothing to gain her, and that much was obvious.

"It depends." She tilted her chin upwards in order to get a better view of his face. He looked as furious as ever. Her next words could have been one of the largest mistakes she had ever made, or one of the most intelligent sentences that ever came out of her mouth.

"Where is with you?" She asked gently, unsure of what was to come. A wrong move, and in his present stage of anger, Loki would hurt her. She was sure of it.

"Lady Nyx, with me the possibilities are unlimited." He gave her a mischievous smile, as if he meant to continue playing the dangerous game he entirely enjoyed. He took his time running his own gaze across her features, taking in every inch of her with a wicked sort of grin plastered over his own face.

"I'm going to hold you to that." She said in return, veering off sharply to the left, and quickly striding away so that her hair connected with his face. Honestly, she hoped it hurt, as feeble and diva-ish as the move might have seemed.

"I expect nothing less than the best from you, my lady." At this, she paused to listen. "Your cooperation is essential in order for you to begin training." She could almost hear the smirk in his words, baiting her further. This had been his idea all along. To entrance her in his own suttle way. She would not give him the satisfaction of winning over her.

"I remember having a conversation over my clothing choice earlier." She gestured below to her trashy clothing with a faint smile. If she could not win, she would simply resist the compelling impulse to befriend him. She would play her own game. "Perhaps we should tackle the smaller problems before dealing with.. The, ah, training." She dipped her head in a nod, once again resuming her idle walk back towards the city.

"That won't be necessary, Lady Nyx." He said curtly. "I have an idea of my own in mind. I'm sure you will find it to you liking." His expression was slightly annoyed, if not exasperated by her defiance. Although, his words did take her by surprise, and she turned just in time to feel the tingling begin at the back of her neck.

She was not angry. She was not sad. Why was her.. It bothered her horribly to think of it, but why was her magic acting up?

It was then that she realized the shimmery golden glow that had enveloped her bodice. It was only there momentarily, but she quickly shrieked and flung her limbs this way and that in an attempt to shake off the material that was forming over her.

It took only a few seconds, but she was standing in a panicked heap by the time it was over.

"Was that so horrible?" Loki asked teasingly, stepping around her to admire his work. She quickly found the sense to look down. Her clothing was gone, replaced by something so incredibly.. Normal, it brought a stunned expression to her already startled physical features.

Her clothing now consisted of a simple hooded sweater, the same colour as Loki's own green leather pieces that seemed very alike to her last, but newly added golden gauntlets and bracers were just visibly peeking out of the sleeves. The armour easily added on a few extra pounds.

Her bottoms were far more nice; slim fit leggings that hugged her legs tightly, but still allowed her plenty of flexibility. On her feet, her own leather boots, newly washed and fitted as perfectly as though she had not taken them off. Her hair was in it's normal curly ivory state, but there were visibly a few dark emerald feathers adorning the areas around her ears.

The thing that threw her off most was the leather sheath that wrapped around her thigh. Although it was only a thing thing, reaching to just below her knee, it frightened her. Taking out the dagger to get a better look at it, a breath escaped her lips almost immediately. The blade was the same shade of green as her sweater, and shiny enough to mirror her awed expression right back at her. It seemed to curve slightly, and the blade itself was shaped like a flame, the edges twisting elegantly from a black leather hilt. With the weapon in her grasp, the tingling suddenly overwhelmed her body, rippling in sensations throughout her spine.

"Loki.. How.. Wait. No. No magic!" She exclaimed, frustration pouring over her in sudden waves. She longed to use violence again, but knew it would be the wrong choice. Loki wanted her to summon her magic. It took a few moments, but she composed herself just enough to speak.

"I agreed to come with you. Only if you tell me your story though. You know mine, so what is the trouble?" At this, the rage that clouded Loki's thoughts was brought on by the mere mention of his past. He advanced towards her with such a murderous glare on his already malevolent features, she could not react before he had her arm in his immovable grip. Darkness shrouded her vision, leaving her completely helpless.

"You want to know my past?" His voice came out as a distant snap through the darkness, forcing her eyes to once again regain their sight. They were no longer in the forest, but in what seemed to be a farm. Her surroundings were too familiar. She knew exactly where Loki had taken her. She could even smell manure wafting from the stables that her father had most likely neglected to clean upon her leaving. "You want to feel the pain I have felt?" He said, tugged sharply on her arm so that he could see her face. She was, in fact, terrified.

"Loki, please. I'll go anywhere but here. Please." Her voice was raw, a forewarning for the tears that were sure to come. She allowed a glance towards the dirt path that led to the willow forest, and nearly choked on a sob. He growled and clasped long, thin fingers over her hand; the one that held the dagger.

"It is too late for reason now." He guided her towards the little cabin near the centre of the clearing. Surely her father was asleep in there at the very moment. He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Do you remember all he has done?" Spinning her by her shoulders so that his chest was pressed up against her back, she heard his chuckle, a dark, twisted thing that oddly sounded good to her ears. He was right, and the rage that boiled in her now was some sort of revenge that she desperately seeked, and he knew exactly where this soft spot was.

"He treated you like nothing." His voice was but a whisper through her rushing mind. She would not do it. She would not kill him.

"He is not even your real father. You know you ache for his blood." He eased her closer to the house, applying just enough pressure on her back that she was slowly moving forwards. At the rate they were moving at, Nyx had plenty of time to think. "You know you wish for nothing more than to see his face when you return him the hate he has shown you." She wouldn't. She couldn't do it. "If you do this.. I will tell you everything you wish to know." His offer was so tempting. She wanted so badly to know his story, to find someone who truly shared the same past as her. One life, David's life, her 'Father's', was not so big a price for a thing she desired so fully, was it?

"Everything?" She asked simply, taking in hushed breaths as his hand removed itself from hers. Sudden warmth flowed back into her fingers, and she realized how abnormally cold his own hand was.

"Everything." He took a small step backwards, allowing her to continue on her own towards the door, which was now only yards away. Nyx could not believe how strongly felt about killing him. Killing the man whom had truly treated her like dirt. Like an inconvenience. She did not need Loki's prompts. She would do this on her own.

Normally, the screen door would have creaked open, but upon remembering the night she had left, she also recalled ripping it from it's hinges. It lay discarded a few feet away. She snorted at this. Her father had not gotten on without her, and this gave her some sense of satisfaction. He should have suffered for what he had done to her.

Shouldering the next door open at a moderately slow speed, she stepped food inside the house.

His work boots lay in the centre of the floor, tracking mud and grime onto the floor, jacket just a few feet away, dripping with some foul odoured water. A few stray beers lay atop the kitchen table to her left. It clearly showed his drinking had not so much as improved when she left, and for a moment she felt slightly guilty. She had been the one whom had driven him to rock bottom, but it was then that she quickly pushed these thoughts of regret behind.

Nyx quickly found her way down a short foyer, coming to a rather sudden halt at the doorstep to her fath- David's room. Clutching the weapon in her hands, she slowly pushed into the room, the only light coming from a small window just above one of the many desks that littered the room. She maneuvered around the mess and came to stop just in front of his bed.

He was a pile of sheets and quilts, still under the pearly light that was casting itself across the room from the mentioned window. His head and upper chest lay exposed, one arm carelessly draped over the edge of the bed, dangling next to several more beer cans and bottles alike. A smoldering ashtray lay just beside that. The rancid fragrance of alcohol and smoke lingered in the air from these articles, and she leaned over them to get a better look at his face.

Even in the dull light, she could make out the beginning of a scruffy bear, black hair easily shoulder length, wrinkles catching a bit of drool that made it's way from his gaping mouth. If anything, he seemed just as she remembered; lacking in the hygiene department.

There was so much more to it, though. His brow seemed to furrow in his sleep, as if he was frowning at her for not doing a good enough job. Like he was about to scold her for picking up the wrong brand of milk, or not shoveling the manure fast enough. It was that scowl that finally threw her off.

She raised the knife so that one of the more deadly-looking edges hovered just above the soft flesh of his throat. She thought about Loki, about how she would get all the answers she desired. Just by doing this. Something she might have even sought out on her own.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, bringing the knife down with a quick burst of force.

She expected struggle. Maybe more blood. She expected something else than what was happening in front of her.

Where the knife had entered, so had her fist, and the rest of her wrist. His form was illuminated in a gold glow for a few seconds, only to disappear seconds later. There was no trace of him, no evidence David had even been there. The sheets lay perfectly set on the bed where he had been laying.

"I can't say I'm not surprised." A voice spoke from behind her, who she instantly recognized as Loki's. She rose to her feet from the kneeling state she had been in, craning her neck to get a look at him from the side. He was leaned against the shaft of the door on one shoulder, watching her with a lingering glare. "You don't strike me as the murderer type." He added, folding his arms over his chest and glancing around the mess of a room. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell.

"Is this some sort of test to you?" She snapped, fully rotating on her heels so that she was looking at him head-on. "An initiation?" Stepping around one of the desks, she held the dagger firmly by her side, the gray light spilling onto it from the window and glinting in odd directions.

"Yes. That sounds correct." He shrugged and turned back towards the hallway. She could hear the door shut as he made his way back onto the grass. Nyx found herself sprinting back through the house, shouldering the door open roughly and only slowly down when she caught sight of him a few meters away, still walking back towards the tree line. She was beyond vexed by the time she managed to fall into step right behind him, and pulling the knife up to his own neck.

Instead of getting the absolute satisfaction of drawing blood, she was bent backwards by a sudden force, a cold object pressed against the delicate surface of her throat. She stifled a cry as her back impacted against a single object, which she later found out to be no other than Loki's knee. She could feel him drift over to an area behind her ear, only to utter a few words. The knife on her throat tensed further, breaking a few layers of skin and revealing the first few drips of crimson. "I promised you answers. It would be beneficial to you if you did not try to kill me before I am able to tell you the story you seek." A dark chuckle rose from his throat when she whined faintly, the pressure of his knee against her back giving her enormous discomfort.

"Let me up." She murmured, a cry escaping her lips when he pressed the knife further into her throat. He laughed further, but brought her to her feet, allowing her his shoulder as a support in order to steady herself. She shot him a furious look and shoved the blade back into her sheath. "Why do you torture me? I thought I was 'uncommon'." He simply laughed and once again reached for her arm, meaning to teleport them back to the forest. She withdrew from his space quickly, avoiding his touch.

"You tell me what I want to know here. Then I will come with you." Her words were certain, slightly raspy though, as she gently massaged the new cut on her throat.

"You grow sharper my lady. It is wise not to trust me just yet." He gestured to the outlying will forest, obviously gesturing for her to go first. "I would prefer not to speak in the open." Loki was most definitely not looking forward to what was to come. He would have to speak about his past to another. It was something he was ashamed of, but in order to gain her fully, he would first need her trust. Loki could not explain why he had gone through so much trouble for her. He knew she was different, of a species unknown to him, and perhaps it was the side of him that wished only to gain and please that was speaking for him now, but he knew he would not give up on her. He cared for her. A very rare thing.

"After you." She said curtly, giving him a light shove towards the dirt path.

Yes. She had definitely gotten sharper.


	7. You Will Hate Me

"I can't believe it." Nyx had just heard him, Loki, tell her his past. A detailed story that truly struck her as.. almost exactly like hers. "I'm.. sorry. Really." She murmured, tugging her knees closer to her chest and reclining against the willow with a sharp sigh. She could only imagine what she was. Loki seemed so certain Nyx was not human, and his reason behind it was nothing short of perfectly clear.

He fumed on the ground beneath her, clearly trying to suppress the sudden surge of anger he had gained when talking about his past. It was clear he felt betrayed, and all she wished to do was comfort him. Perhaps this was part of the reason he had been so different to her than she remembered him being in the stories. If anything, she should have at least returned the favour by being kind in return, but something told her Loki would not be one to appreciate sympathy. They were very similar in that sense.

"Don't bother, Lady Nyx. What is done is in the past." He growled under his breath, pacing in short strides, evidently trying to calm down. He had seemed so entirely distressed and bitter when he had recalled the events for her to hear, she could not help but think about her own history. She did not yet know the betrayal he knew, and for her sake, he seemed to be easing her into the fact that her parents weren't actually her parents. Loki had not been so lucky.

"Thanks for sticking to your side of the deal." She rose to her feet, causing him to hesitate in his restless track, turning to face her with an expectant look. "I guess it's high time I take up mine." She forced a smile, but ended up biting her lip when his posture did not falter from it's current state of anger. "When do we start?" She dropped down from the branch she had perched on, landing rather close to him. In fact, she could have sworn his toe was presently under her boot, but he showed no signs of caring, so she shuffled slightly backwards.

"No. Don't move away. I apologize if I'm coming off as angry.." His hand was on her shoulder almost immediately, refraining her from moving any further. If anything, she was actually drawn closer towards him.

"Don't apologize. It's my fault, I shouldn't have bothered you to tell me, and-" She was cut off by the sight of a single tear making it's way down his cheek, completely visible in the honeyed light of the rising sun. Her eyes searched his face for any sign of grief, but she only found more anger. "And I know I'm a total idiot, but I trust you." She grinded her teeth at how cheesy it came out, and half guessed he would break out laughing at her any given second. Instead, a smile passed over his features momentarily, but faded into a ghost of a smirk.

His hand rose to gently trace the groove the blade had left on her neck. She felt the pain ease as his hand passed over it, until it was simply gone. He looked up in time to catch her confused gaze.

"You are an idiot." He mumbled, a barely audible laugh emitting itself as he gave her a mocking smile.

In the next few seconds, he was turning away from her, any show of the softness that had come by for just a short amount of time entirely gone by now. He was back to the Loki she knew.

"We'll start once we get you some food." He did not turn to face her, but from the show of the corner of his lips playing slightly upwards, she could tell he could hear her demanding stomach from where he was positioned. "Be warned though, Lady Nyx, sorcery is a tiresome practice. You may hate me by the time we have finished." She raised her brows at this, and caught him looking just enough to see her gesture.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." She remembered reading a quote online sometime about hate, and stating it made her feel rather stupid, but she could tell by the look Loki gave her that he was not able to stifle how impressed he was. She decided to live out the moment and refrain from telling him where she had gotten the line.

"I doubt such a fragile thing such as love is able to overpower such a common thing as hate." He answered quietly, obviously deep in thought. It was her turn to laugh.

"I guess we'll have to test that one." It surprised her how easily the words came out of her lips, and she was unable to stop herself by the time they were out there. For her pride's sake, he simply skipped his own intelligent remark, and instead offered her his hand. She knew it was not a simple 'Let's hold hands and look cute' sort of gesture, but a 'Time to teleport' one. She placed her palm down on his, and immediately felt him pull her closer to his chest. The darkness clouded her vision just as it had before when he had used the same magic.

It only lasted momentarily, as before, and she opened her eyes to a new scene.

They were on a street, which Nyx recognized to be downtown Manhattan. Loki was dressed in new garments; A simple leather jacket over a dark olive t-shirt. He had on black jeans and casual dress shoes. His hair had lost it's messiness, and was back to being slicked back. She appreciated his change of clothing, and even noticed her dagger and sheath were nowhere to be seen. At least they would not attract as much attention as she had assumed they would.

"You couldn't have just conjured up a bit of toast?" She questioned him, removing herself from his arms and turning to look at him quizzically. He still had a somewhat angered expression, as though his thoughts still dwelled on Asgard, and more so, Thor.

"I considered that." He eyed the passersby carefully, earning odd looks in return. It was as if he was on the edge of paranoia, but from his un-amused smirk, she could tell his thoughts were something along the lines of how pathetic everyone around him seemed. "I thought it would be interesting to venture further into Midguardian customs though. Mortals are so boring, I do not yet understand how some of them are so different from the rest." He looked at her pointedly. "Perhaps I was hoping to encounter another such as yourself. This is more of a trip to confirm my suspicion that there are no others like you around." He finished, and continued examining faces.

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment." She retorted as he pulled her further down the street, determined to feel the aura of every mortal he possibly could in the area. "Anyways. Food?" She reminded him lightly, steering him in the direction of a small food stand by the street corner. It seemed clean enough from where they stood, and the scent of hot dogs was never a bad thing.

"This sustenance looks foul." Loki said, still distracted by his surroundings when he passed her the hot dog which he had purchased with a bit of cash he had easily summoned to hand.

"It'll do." She said, nibbling on the still-hot dog. He nodded frantically and turned his head this way and that, not as he had been before. He seemed to be searching for something this time.

"Your hand." He held his out to her, not seeming to bother with the people around them. Wouldn't they notice if they suddenly disappeared? He noticed her agitation and gave her a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, the mortals will see nothing." She complied and placed her palm on his extended one, clenching her meal rather tightly when he pulled her towards him yet again. She did admit she would not grow tired of the odd feeling teleportation gave her.

"We're here." He said gently. When she turned, he was back into his own armour. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek to distract herself from staring, and he seemed to catch on and contributed a breathless laugh to the silence. Nyx hastily finished her hot dog and discarded the paper on the ground a few yards away.

They seemed to be back in the exact forest spot where they she had slept. She took notice of the viridian blanket crumpled at the foot of one of the trees, which only confirmed her thoughts.

"Are you ready to start?" He asked her simply, taking a generous step forwards, stopping a short enough distance from her so that she could just touch him if she wanted to.

"I guess." She said in return. Nyx truly had no idea what to expect. Most definitely more tingling, and pain, he had mentioned she would hate him by the time they were done. This frightened her a bit, since she could not even bring herself to hate him after what he had told her about his past events. More thoughts struck her mind; How had he known her father would not be at the farm? How had he known she would eventually comply?

"Sit down. Cross legged will do." He ordered her, obviously feeling the need to demonstrate how to properly sit, as he did so as well. She followed his movements until they were both seated on the floor. "Now close your eyes." She hesitated, giving him a questioning look which he returned with a sharp glare. She obliged and shut her lids.

"Don't retaliate." She felt a pressure against her back, and realized Loki was now behind her. From the range of the pressure, she assumed it was his hands, and the tingly feeling began to act up just as quickly as before. "Focus on that feeling." He whispered gently, pressing slightly harder with both of his hands so that she had to resist a bit by pressing back against them. Just then, a sharp bolt of pain seemingly sprouted from her back, letting a cry escape her lips. "You're not concentrating."

"It would be easier if you weren't doing whatever you're doing." She growled in response. He did not even flinch.

"What I'm doing is spiking up your magic with my own. Unless you prefer I get you to use it the other way." He retorted, a smaller shock branching off from her back and towards her neck, where the feeling was stationed at the moment.

She cringed as the sensation poured throughout her body, waking up her nerves and telling her it was ready. She was ready. She could feel the prickling sense coursing over her skin, crawling steadily through every limb.

The pressure of his hands dispersed, and her eyes shot open, curiosity taking over. He was now standing a ways in front of her, possibly a safe distance, or another option could have been the fact that she was literally shivering from the itching feeling, and he was actually afraid she would react badly to the magic.

"On your feet." He said, watching her with a somewhat amused grin.

Nyx brought herself upwards, flexing her fingers a few times. The feeling was alien in her hands. She could feel it all the way to her fingertips.

It took her by surprise, but Loki's sudden movement almost seemed too predictable. She could see his hand reach for his dagger, could already hear him unsheathe it, watched it as it flew through the air and straight towards her. Nyx barely made it out of the way, instead feeling the tip of it stroke her cheek, leaving it's mark on the way. The blood was not much, but it was slowly trailing it's way to her neck by the time she gave him an appalled look.

"Are you insane?" He could have killed her right there. After all that work, and she would just be dead. Gone. She curled and uncurled her fists in an attempt to calm down.

"Focus Nyx." Were his only words as he drew several blades at once, and began whipping the things at her as if they were nothing.

Truly afraid, she called forth the earlier burst of energy, and used it to somehow push forwards. The blades clattered to the forest floor in mid-throw, and much to her surprise, an overwhelming sense of dizziness made her stumble dangerously.

"Concentrate on where you are, Lady Nyx. Hold on to the feeling." He urged her on encouragingly as she sheepishly drew her own knife, holding it up in defense. Another volley of his weapons pierced the air in front of her.

She did some sort of dive, coming up with her dagger still in hand. He was close enough, and so she slashed across the space between them.

The first edge of the blade passed right through him, and it was almost too late when she heard the distinct swish from behind her, revealing his position.

It only took a few seconds, but she was on her knees after his boot clashed with her calves, sending another ripple of pain through her legs. "On your feet." He growled, earning another aimless lash from her blade in response, which he quickly avoided and delivered another blow to her shoulder, sending her to the ground. She thumped to her side, regaining a standing posture just seconds later. The smirk Loki gave her was mocking.

"Hate me yet?" He asked as he made his way to her side, leaning down to whisper this in her ear with a soft tone. He was enjoying every moment of this.

She took a few moments to breath, then quickly spun on one heel, manipulating the tingling to shove Loki away from her. He didn't seem very startled, but instead returned to her side with a simple teleportation incantation. She dodged his next strike with a quick duck, curving so that she came up behind him, but Loki was no longer there. She could feel his presence, but could not see him at the least.

"Cheater." She slumped slightly, still holding the blade at the ready though.

He laughed a bit, stopping only to wrap his arms around her by the shoulders, holding her against his own body in what seemed like an immovable grip. Nyx brought her elbow back against his ribs, but again, Loki was not there and her attack fell through the illusion harmlessly. She was growing tired very, very quickly.

"Surely you did not fight with Thor like this." She exclaimed, hoping to anger him. Nyx was already quite furious herself, and was interested to see his reaction. Any guilt from earlier being rude to him was wiped away by how brutally he seemed to be teasing her.

The look of hurt Loki gave her was immense. He was just a few feet ahead of her, taken aback by what she had said, but it was noticeable how the pain was quickly replaced by anger. White hot anger. Menacing viridian eyes were trained solely on her, his alabaster face blank, his chest rising heavily with every breath. "Why is it you enjoy angering me?" He asked, his voice full of some form of threat. She steeled her expression and stepped forwards.

"I could say the same about you. We're almost identical, remember?" The magic swelled inside her, inflating and deflating. She had to focus entirely on it to steady it by the slightest.

Loki was right in front of her in seconds, his grip on her shoulders causing her immense pain. She bit her lip to keep from reacting.

"You are so.. I am at a loss for words. I do not understand you by the slightest." He desperately searched her face, trying to find the one feeling he could comprehend; hate. He came up short. If anything, he only found a sort of naive pain. She was clearly trying to hide it within herself, since she did not want him to learn about her, to delve into her secrets and uncover what he wanted. His mind was enraged by the time he finished looking at her. He could not stand not knowing what he was up against. It would be so much easier if she would just comply.

She smiled up at him.

"You're not exactly an open book." Her words came out struggled, and Loki loosened his iron grip on her shoulders to ease a bit of her pain. "You come to me claiming you're the God of Mischief, and tell me I'm magical. I'm not yet ready to share everything to the man who is always up to something." Even when her face was half-coated in blood and dirt, she did not seem any different. Still the bold, dark, humorous, yet defiant girl he had followed.

He wanted to know everything to do with her. Loki wanted to know what made Nyx as she was. In fact, he still did not even what she was.

"Shall we continue, then?" He asked, pushing the remark about his brother to the back of his mind, since it was quite necessary to ensure her safety.

"Of course." She said sheepishly, the fatigue already slurring her words. He had grown so used to training with Thor, and Sif and The Warriors Three, he had forgotten Nyx had just realized her power less than a day ago. She would not be able to handle him head-on for a while, although she showed promise.

"You need to focus." He circled her, sizing her up while idly twisting a dagger repeatedly in his hands. "Think about what you want to do." He tossed the blade up, catching it by the hilt with a fluid motion just as easily. "Only when you clear your mind of all other thoughts, are you able to control your magic. It would be a great deal easier if I had a few of my own books to help you with, but they are not here." He stopped in front of her.

"In order to find out your past, we need to know what you're capable of. If you have natural talent, it is most likely you are of a warrior-like species." He ran his eyes along her figure. "Although I highly doubt that. You do not seem the brute type."

"If you're finished, I'd like to get back to learning before night." Nyx said, yawning to emphasize her tired point. He gave her a jovial smile, as though her eagerness to train made him happy. She assumed it probably did.

"You're correct on that. You seem quite tired." He mused, giving her a fleeting look of concern."Give it your best shot." He extended his arms both ways, obviously intending for her to try to attack him.

She raised a skeptical brow, and watched him for a few moments.

"Not with your knife." There was the catch she had been waiting for. He would only propel her further into using magic.

She smirked and gave him a playful look, stating a few words in a teasing, yet warning manner. "You underestimate me Loki."

He grinned in response. Finally a fighting partner who did not only enjoy the thrill of an even, controlled fight, but one who knew verbal attacks were just as useful. Where had Nyx been when he had been spending years being beaten by Thor?

His words matched her own on a scale of warning, but they also issued an unspoken challenge between the two.

"Prove me wrong."


	8. Night

"You're tired, Lady Nyx. We will continue tomorrow." Loki said, waving off her protests to continue with a stern look. He had to admire her perseverance though. She had heart.

Beaten and bloodied, Nyx slumped to the ground in a heap, letting out a much needed huff, the air having chilled as the sun retired. Loki noticed the side of her face that had been the victim of his knives, and he silently retired to the ground next to her, a cold cloth at hand. She gave him a look of appreciation and reached upwards to take hold of the cloth in order to wipe away the layer of grime that had settled on her face, but he pulled his hand back slightly, motioning for her to calm.

"You're exhausted, sore, and you look rather pathetic. Allow me." He said, fending off a few of her attempts at snatching the cloth from him with his spare arm. Eventually, she gave him a long look, and settled back against the trunk of the tree, defeated.

He began to wipe away at the raw flesh, revealing the damaged skin beneath. He had not realized how hard he had pushed her. The surface was a puzzle of cuts and bruises, one long one reaching from just below her eye and across the bridge of her nose.

"Don't give me that look. I'm fine. No magic." He frowned at this, but lowered his already prepared hand. If she would only allow him to heal her, he would not have felt the slight guilt that seemed to tear at his conscience. "If it will make you feel better, I can stab you a few times." She laughed a bit, but his expression remained blank. Loki did not want to become a Thor to her. The one who was brutal in battle. The one who became so caught up in the midst of a fight that he forgot who it was he was actually fighting. The fact that she neglected to show her pain made it much worse. It reminded him too much of his own self.

"It would make me feel better if you slept." He admitted, pressing his own back against the tree and tossing the bloodied cloth away with an absent sigh.

"You're treating me like a child." She said pointedly, anger presenting itself on her features. It looked rather odd, considering she looked about as beaten as one could get.

"I am not. I'd just prefer not to wake up to a bloody version of you." She gave him an exasperated look at this.

"You know it's not the blood I'm talking about. I can handle myself Loki. Why are you acting so.. not you?" She visibly clenched her jaw, obviously not enjoying the softness he was showing her. He should have expected she would not take his kindness as nothing.

"I wish I knew the answer." He stated in return, giving her a cold look before turning to look up at the hazy red sky, feigning interest in the approaching moon while she snarled aloud, obviously frustrated by his confusing answers.

It was the truth though. He could not find an explanation for why he suddenly cared for her. Maybe he wanted to learn about her, to find out what she was because they were so similar, but that was only a contributing factor. Loki knew that his interest in her was not enough to sprout the sudden concern he felt for her. It gnawed at his mind. He had always been able to explain things. To find a way, a reason why things were as they seemed to be. He always had a plan, but Loki had no idea where he was going with Nyx. It was as if she had changed him.

"G'night Loki. If you figure out anything about me by morning, I promise I'll still be here." She murmured blankly, leaning her head back against the tree, her breaths turning heavy as she fell asleep almost instantly. He huffed and stood up from where he was sitting, brushing off stray leaves and twigs from his armour.

"Is that the only reason you're still here?" He said under his breath, not daring the words to be true. Nyx could no possibly be so desperate that she would only use him to get answers about herself. If he had been paying attention, he could have sworn she whispered something in her sleep, but his mind was already focused on other such things. Like what would happen when he did find out what she was.

Would he tell her straight away? Would he even be able to find out? Loki was certain she was not a mortal. Her influence was too strong, and the magic that he tasted coming from her aura was all too obvious. Their visit to the city had proven him correct when he had felt the presence of no other like herself. He hated to think of her as an interesting test subject, something that was to be studied, but he soon realized that was how he had been treating her. Behind him, she cringed a bit in her sleep. What if there were things she was not telling him?

Loki pondered this for a while. She had proven her worth in the art of sorcery, so what if she had already developed more than she let on?

"Nyx.. Why do you trouble me so?" He sighed heavily and took his place on the ground next to her, vowing to get at least a fraction of a good night's sleep.

Her subconscious sought him out almost immediately, settling her head in the crook between his neck and shoulder as if there was some sort of pull towards him as there had been the first night. It was something to be expected though, as he had literally placed himself on the ground right next to her, so that they were just side-by-side. What surprised him most though, was when she draped an arm across his chest, and he held it there. It was a simple action, although she was not knowingly doing so, something told him her mind had some say in her movements.

"Good night, my lady." He whispered, wrapping his arm around to her other should in an attempt to provide her with a more comfortable position. It seemed to work, as she seemed to squirm slightly closer, so that she was literally using him only for support, her back against his torso, legs pulled up so that her knees just brushed her own chest.

"I like the softer side of Loki." He heard this escape her lips just as her eyes shot open, head swiveling so that she could get a better view of his face. His own rich emerald eyes caught hers, a smile playing upon his lips. She mirrored his expression, and Loki could have sworn any sort of anger he had earlier felt towards her was depleted. She seemed so.. innocent, but he knew better. The girl in his arms was almost as mischievous as him, and most definitely just as deadly. The jigsaw pattern of slices his daggers had left were enough proof that she was not going to be a simple maiden.

Although the moment should have been categorized as completely uncomfortable, Loki did not feel the least bit out of place. Judging by her bold statement, he sensed she felt right at home in his arms. He could not tell if her words were genuine though, as he was not able to reply before her eyes shut once again, leaving him in a astonished state of mind. Had she really just said that? Nyx had seemed to hate him just a day ago, and there she was, falling asleep against him like it was absolutely nothing. She was truly stupefying. Her personality was all over the board, and just when Loki had believed to have her figured out by the slightest, she was going about and jumbling his thoughts again.

A quick thought that maybe this was her intent from the start was quickly washed away by the hidden part of his mind that told him she would not yet be able to beat him at his own tricks. Nyx would not yet have the ability to out smart the trickster. He almost laughed at this, but stopped himself in fear of waking her.

He could not help but admit it felt rather good to take a break from his constant tricks, and allow another close to him. He knew it would not last for long, so decided it would be best to enjoy it as it was.

Who knew what would happen when she mastered her magic as he had? Although Loki knew it would be a quite a long time before she advanced enough to merely stand against him in a fight, he knew she would hold her own as great as any, possibly better. Nyx was very tough, as much as it bothered him to accept it.

Being so similar to him, he could not imagine the chaos they would create. Inwardly, Loki hoped Midguard would not be prepared for such a diabolical duo, and he would be right back to his own mischief in no time, but with a companion who was indeed, one of a kind.

Not just a partner in crime though; Nyx.

**Chapter 8 already and still no romance? No worries, though, anyone who is looking for a bit of Loki/Nyx. They'll be continuing training, and things will get a little interesting when Loki decides to give her a little.. test. **

**Sorry for the short chapter, hope you enjoyed. 3**


	9. Influence

Sunlight glinted against the surrounding ponds in shattered rays, breaking through the trees, tinted emerald by the foliage.

Loki lay, leaned against a tree, his arms wrapped protectively over the figure laying against him. The small form was none other than his female companion, Nyx.

Her silvery blonde hair was sprawled carelessly over his chest, right arm hooked across his left shoulder. It was odd, considering the pain he had dealt her way the past day, but she had easily overcome it after realizing just how alike they were. She would expect no comfort from him, although he was happy to oblige to her needs, and a few wants as well.

She stirred a bit, eyes opening with a heavy yawn. Behind her, Loki's chest rose deeply, signaling his sleep. She decided against waking him, and instead removed herself from his arms, and regained her feet.

The sounds of the city were rather loud considering how far out the forest was. She thought she caught the sounds of a few street vendors, but pushed it off as her tired mind playing around with her.

"How was your sleep?" Spoke a voice from behind her. Of all things, a smile was present on her face when she turned to look at the source. He was reclined against the base of the tree, legs slightly bent in front of him, a teasing smirk upturning the corners of his mouth.

"Comfortable enough." She said in retort, unsheathing her dagger and drawing the tip across the ground, absently drawing a picture that could be considered some sort of horse. Nyx had always enjoyed art, and it assuaged her reeling thoughts. She had not realized Loki would take to her with such ease, although it did bring her some form of relief that he had not yet retaliated negatively to her actions.

"Are you hungry?" He continued, fidgeting with a few of his own daggers fondly. "We will begin training again after your breakfast." He rose to his feet, placing his blades back in the folds of the leather and ambling over to where she was kneeling.

"I guess I could go for a few eggs." She answered, straightening out to her full height and pivoting to look at him more directly.

He was still in his armour, which did not come as a surprise to her at all. Although she did notice the way the hollows under his eyes had all but dispersed. He had actually gotten a bit of rest. "Even gods need sleep?" She asked, cautiously drawing two fingers across the area just above his cheekbones. His skin was exceptionally cold, but she had known that already due to his Jötun background, and she managed not to flinch. Her shock must have still registered on her expression though, because he frowned a bit under her hand.

"No creature can go without rest. Evidently, you seem to crave it even more than others." He murmured in response, giving her a warm smile before turning back towards the direction of the city. "I have a different sort of training in mind." He back to face her, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "It's more of a test, really."

"Because your tests always turn out marvelous." She grinned a bit and re-sheathed her knife, taking a few long strides so that he was just in front of her.

"I have a good feeling about this one." He said rather silently, pulling her closer to him, their chests just touching. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead as though it was nothing.

Nyx guessed that if they had gone so far as to literally share the same breathing space the night before, it would not be so different to simply hug. He tugged her closer to him, drawing his gaze over her face with a sort of mirth that made her grin widen even more.

"Breakfast?" She asked, biting her lip and watching him expectantly. He simply nodded, and her vision was black. It came as a start as it always did, but she felt his embrace the entire time, which was in fact only a few seconds.

"We're here." He said gently, guiding her out of the alley in which he had brought them to.

The street was bustling with mortals engaged in conversation, car horns or infuriated drivers not a rare sound to the ear either. It was incredibly early morning, and a sort of haze had taken over the usual excitement of the city. He could not recall how it was in it's busiest hours, but did not intend to find out either. She dragged him away from his thoughts and further down the sidewalk, although he was still evidently recovering from the use of his teleportation magic on the two of them. He hid it as well as he could, but the side effects from using such a complicated form of magic on two of them so many times in the past day or two had clearly taken it's toll.

"Here. This place is pretty cheap, I used to come here when my da- David was getting on my nerves." She stiffened a bit and tugged him further forwards and up through the wooden door frame. Just a frame. No door.

From the outside, the place did not seem like much; dust-coated windows and stained wood walls that no one seemed bothered enough to try to clean off the layer of filth that had settled on them. From the inside it was slightly more luxurious. With leather booths and individual tables ordered down the place, the windows were covered in rich red curtains, and the theme reminded him of a restaurant from the past. Although he felt uneasy as the eyes of several humans switched from newspapers to him and Nyx, she simply waved at them, which seemed to soothe their curious glances.

Nyx sat herself down at one of the smaller tables that seemed barely able to withstand it's own weight, but it was secluded, hidden near the back of the restaurant. For this, Loki was grateful, although he would have enjoyed wiping the suspicious looks right from the mortal faces with a bit of magic just as much.

"I know what you're thinking. So, no. You cannot hurt anyone." She said under her breath. How did she know him so well already? Perhaps the information she had previously required revealed more about him than she let on.

"What can I get for you two? Coffee?" A squeaky voice had appeared next to Loki, the source being a petite girl barely older than Nyx, wearing what he distinguished to be something a cook would wear while.. well, cooking. She appeared nice enough, and he forced a smile.

"I'll have the eggs and toast, thanks. No coffee for me." Nyx said, obviously piling on the sweet act just as he was. The waitress then turned to him.

"And for you sir?" She asked, biting back on her lip as she took in his facial features and rich clothing. Even though he had changed from his armour, it was apparent she was not used to seeing men such as him in the tiny restaurant.

"I'm alright." He waved her off, unable to hold up his smile any longer. Loki had no tolerance for anyone with a weak aura, and she seemed to proudly radiate hers. It was as though she aimed to anger him with her presence. Much to his cheer, she simply dipped her head politely and walked back towards where the bar was stationed, and behind that, the entry way to what he assumed was the kitchen.

"You looked like you were going to rip her head off." Nyx said, not joking by the least. He winked playfully in return.

"Was it that obvious?" It was much easier to speak to Nyx than the feeble server, and so he tasted her atmosphere, almost sighing in delight. It was the same dark, mysterious mood that had radiated from her when they had first met. He found it pleasing to learn from others' influences. If a person was weak, he could easily detect it with the use of a bit of magic. It proved to be a useful skill in the midst of combat as well.

"Just try to tone it down a bit with the creepy smiles?" She couldn't control her giggling this time, and he managed to roll his eyes.

"Of course, my lady." He said, a bit of sarcasm hinting itself in his tone. Nyx raised her eyebrows, but showed no sign of going further with the discussion. "I have to admit, I'm very much looking forward to your test." He prodded, obviously making an attempt at keeping up a conversation.

"Seeing as I don't know what the test is yet, I'm not particularly excited." She said, inspecting the cutlery thoroughly as if she expected to find excess food. Admittedly, even after years of coming to the place, she did not trust the cleanliness of the food, nor the utensils.

After a few minutes of silence, and Loki staring blankly at the menu, seemingly trying to figure out how much of it sounded like it resembled Asguardian dishes, the waitress came back to their table with a plate covered in eggs and several squares of toast.

"Thank-you." Nyx said over a mouth full of the still steaming scrambled food. She swallowed with satisfaction before the stuff could further burn her tongue and mouth.

"You eat like a horse." He commented teasingly, a smile present on his features to let her know he was only joking.

"Shut up." She managed to choke out over another fork full of eggs.

Loki's bickering stopped there, and he resolved back to reading the menu with little interest. It carried on like that throughout the rest of her eating.

. . . . . . . . . .

They walked out of the restaurant, Loki avoiding the still-suspicious looks of the customers as they stepped back onto the sidewalk.

"So, it's been killing me all morning. What's this test?" She murmured as they began back down the street, Loki turning corners as if he had already taken the route several times before. This made her wonder if he had ever, in fact, been to Earth before.

"Patience, we're almost there." He said in return, pulling her through the crowd, and although she did not remember him changing, he was back in his human attire. He did not seem to take for granted the new speed the lightness of the garments gave him compared to his Asguardian armour, and Nyx found herself trying to adjust to his fluid motions.

Finally, and much to her joy, they arrived in another side street that branched off from the main roads. It seemed to be far less popular with people walking on foot, but the streets were still somewhat busy with cars. It was not as loud, which was something to appreciate, as a headache had already rooted itself in Loki's mind. He could easily fix it with a bit of magic, but decided to conserve his energy were something to go wrong during the test.

"Tell me now?" She poked him in the arm, leaning back against one of the surrounding buildings, the brick proving uncomfortable beneath her sore shoulders. She had not realized the pain in her body earlier, but quickly guessed it was from the day before's training session.

"You'll be using influential magic. It's one of the simplest kinds if you concentrate on a goal. All you have to do is convince a few mortals to do your bidding by manipulating their minds. You'll then have them do whatever deed you see fit, and should you succeed, the rest of the day will be focused solely on this area of magic. It's less tiresome, and much, much less painful than others." He said, allowing her a few moments to take this in before continuing. "All you have to do is will them with your mind, and if you are focused, they will listen to most of your commands."

She frowned at him a bit, folding her arms across her chest with a huff. "So, you want me to influence a few unsuspecting humans to do practically whatever I want?" He dipped his head in a nod, giving her a supportive shove away from the wall. "This should be fun." She chimed beneath her breath, striding up to the first passerby with a hesitant step.

The mortal happened to be a man, probably around his thirties, adorned in an expensive looking dark grey tuxedo and pinstriped blue and white tie. She smiled and stepped in his path.

"Hello, sir. How has your day been?" Focus. She was literally looking right into his eyes, which just happened to be wide and slightly startled by her sudden appearance. Come on, Nyx. She encouraged herself in her thoughts, urging the tingling in the nape of her neck to grow. It stayed faint, but passed through her spine all the while.

"Uhm, alright. Yours?" He was uncomfortable, and shifted from foot-to-foot with unease. She couldn't see him very well, but from the corner of her eye she barely caught Loki standing about a block away, looking at her expectantly.

"Good." She stared deeper into his eyes, watching a sort of glaze come over the blues of them almost immediately. She could sense his aura, his thoughts, his atmosphere. It was an odd sensation, but the moment it came by, Nyx was barely able to grasp it with her mind. She grounded her jaw in frustration.

Get him to.. Ah, stop traffic. It was Loki's voice in her mind, and she turned to glance at him for just a moment. It was enough to catch his smirk.

"Would you mind stepping out on to the road for me?" She asked, still gripping on his mind with her own. Just barely, but she saw him nod and a wicked grin plastered itself on her features before she could stop herself. Nyx was actually enjoying herself. He obliged, and moved right in front of the racing traffic.

The seconds went by as if they were in slow motion. One car seemed to be going particularly fast, and it just so happened to be the one her little minion had chosen to step in front of.

Although the vehicle did stop, a horrible screech followed by the rubbery squeal of tires was met with the sounds of clashing metal. It was a complete mess. She saw the cars flip out upon impact against each other, causing even more chaos on the street. People were gaping from the sidewalks.

Loki was by her side now, and Nyx's grin only grew wider.


	10. You'll Be Alright

**Thank-you all for the feedback! I promise to fit in a bit of romance in the next few chapters.**

**For now, enjoy a bit of Loki being worried. You'll see why. (;**

"I must say I'm impressed." Loki said over the sounds of distant shouts and sirens. Nyx had caused quite the mess on the streets of Manhattan over the past few hours, and from her spot on the ground, she could just catch the grin present on his features.

"Well you seemed to forget to mention how enjoyable causing chaos can be." She said, dropping her head back against the bench with a huff, obviously quite tired from the excessive use of magic. Nyx had not yet noticed, but she had been at it for the most part of the day, and even then it seemed darker. A saying popped into her head, which made her chuckle slightly, which was odd for her under the circumstances that she could be in serious trouble for her actions. "Time flies by when you're having fun." Loki nodded, as if he understood what she meant.

"You never fail to confuse me." He said, giving her a troubled look. He seemed to be reading her face for some answer to the unspoken questions in his mind. She had taken to tricking mortals so easily, it could not have been true. Did she not truly realize what her actions were triggering?

"How so? I still refuse to kill anybody. Not much harm in causing a bit of trouble though." She pointed out, still lounging carelessly on the park bench as another group of cop cars passed by them and towards the many accidents Nyx had caused.

He raised her eyebrows at her. She hadn't yet realized a few lives had been lost. Then again, how could she have? Loki had done his best to distance her from where the action was in order to keep her from feeling guilty. "Lady Nyx, I'm not sure how to say this." He bit on his tongue, raking his mind for the proper words. How was he to tell her she had been the cause of a few deaths that day? To Loki, a few mortal lives did not mean much, but Nyx would react entirely different to that information.

She seemed to pick up on what he was saying rather quickly, and was on her feet in a matter of seconds. "I did not kill anyone, right?" She was visibly hurt when he simply turned away from her, leaving her to her thoughts. He did not want to tell her. It would have been so much easier had she just been clueless.

"I'm sorry Nyx." He said, no more than a whisper. Loki did not want her feeling responsible, although she fully was. His intention was not to hurt her in any way, but he should have predicted she would find out sooner or later.

"I- I need.. some space." She muttered, turning on her heels and starting off in the other direction, back down the sidewalk and towards where the many car accidents were stationed. Loki just managed to grasp her arm in his own hand.

Before he could say anything, she turned to look at him directly. "Let go of me, Loki." Her tone was acidic and threatening, and he obliged, letting go of her with a slightly damaged frown over his face. She gave him one last look of disdain, but it was long enough for him to catch the tears that had begun to spill over her cheeks.

Nyx sprinted away as quickly as she dared, which was incredibly fast no thanks to the flexible armour Loki had chosen for her. Another thing she owed to him.

She had killed people. Actually taken lives. She couldn't wrap her head around that, but it was easy to accept that Loki had lied to her. He was known for being a very capable liar, and she had trusted him. She mentally scolded herself for doing such an idiotic thing, and kept running towards the mess she had created.

It was easy to find, considering the police had completely closed off the area, and several ambulances were still making their way to the wreckage. What did Nyx plan to do when she got there? Confess? No. They would take her to a mental institute to say the least. They would not believe the story that she had told a few mortals to go stop traffic. It even sounded ridiculous in her head, and she curved down towards one of the less busy streets, numerous alleys branching off from it.

Nyx quickly took to a rather dank-looking one, the faint glow from the streetlights not reaching far enough back to chase off the darkness that fell across this particular one. It suited her liking perfectly, and she quickly weaved her way past a few dumpsters, and to the very back of the alley.

On her right, she could barely catch sight of a fire escape, grated metal winding it's way up the side of a brick building. On her left, a similar-looking scene, but the building had a door just below the first set of steps. She managed to ignore the urge to enter, instead crumpling up on the ground on the spot, resolved to violent shuddering and tears.

Nyx could not take it in. She had killed a few people. How many, she was not sure. It didn't matter though. They probably had families, ones who would despise her, families who hated her. In truth, she actually felt as though she hated herself. She had actually killed. Murdered, even.

"I trusted him.." She whispered through huffs, flexing her fingers, the tingling sprouting without her knowing. It coursed through her body, threatening to burst. This time, Nyx was definitely not in control.

Creaking from above her brought her to her senses, and before she could stop herself, she found herself using her magic.

It protruded from her body as it had before, but this time something much stronger flowed from the tingling skin of her hands. More groaning of metal from above her.

"The fire escape.." The breath from these words had barely escaped her lips before the metal grates came tumbling down, coming at her with such speed, she only had time to avoid being crushed by the metal by the slightest.

Pain. Shooting through her leg with such force, she bit her lip in order to stop herself from crying out. Where she had grasped her leg, they came up sticky with some sort of liquid that seemed tar-like, and she immediately knew was blood. It quickly spread throughout the fabric of her pants, and was slowly seeping into her boot as well.

"Don't.. panic.." She commanded herself weakly, unable to contain the feeble whimpering sound she was emitting.

Running her hands over the metal rod, she found it had nearly impaled itself in her calf, and the only sort of reassurance she found from this was that it had missed the bone. It was not good enough to calm her hysterical mind though.

Where was Loki? Had he actually stayed away as she had asked? Had she actually become so dependent on him, that she could not go a few minutes without being crushed by a metal rod?

She could feel her vision turning to a blurry haze. The pain from her leg was almost unbearable now, she took in sharp breaths and ripped a generously sized strip of material from her sleeve, and proceeded to wrap the wound to her best efforts. It wasn't much, as the bandage was soaked in crimson almost immediately.

"Nyx.." His voice was gravelly, strangled even as he took in the scene in front of him.

Instead of her normally calm expression, her face was distorted in pain, body curled over her leg in a weak sort of protective stance. From the wincing sounds emitting themselves from her, he could sense the agony she was in. Cerise stained her leg and pooled in front of her, only adding to the shock he was in.

"Please.. H-help.." She managed to choke out over sharp intakes, squeezing her eyes shut and opening them as if trying to stay conscious. He soon realized that was exactly what she was doing, and he knelt down next to her.

"Don't fight me." He warned, easing her hands off the wound with quick, yet gentle movements. She mustered up a nod and relaxed backwards a bit as he ran his hands along the gash. Nyx bit back screams when he experimentally pulled a bit on the rod. "Nyx, I'm going to have to put you to sleep for now. You'll be in too much pain if I leave you awake." He said calmly, turning to acknowledge her furious nodding motions. It was all he needed, and he quickly whispered an incantation that would indeed, put her in an unconscious state.

Loki set to work on removing the metal first, jerking his elbow back sharply when he got a hold on the thing. It came out rather quickly, coated to the tip in blood.

Discarding it off to the side, he brushed his fingertips along the wound, willing the blood to stop spilling with the use of his magic. It would last as long as he stayed concentrated, and being such a practiced sorcerer proved helpful under the conditions.

"It'll be alright." He chimed, more so for himself than her. He hadn't yet tested how vulnerable or how susceptible she was to injury, so he did not know how much she could take before her body simply gave out due to the loss of blood. He tried to convince himself that since she was capable of magic, maybe her entire form was more advanced as well, and she would not fall so easily.

Tearing open the fabric with a spare dagger in order to better inspect where the rod had entered her leg, he conjured up a bit of light; a wall torch that flickered constantly, making the blood go from crimson to inky black beneath his quick hands all-too-often. Normally, Loki would have summoned up a bit of magic and closed the wound, but he did not know how her body would react, as she had not let him test it out on her smaller battle marks earlier.

"Nothing I haven't seen before.." He mumbled, tearing the makeshift bandage away from her leg to reveal the ugly gash.

It seemed to have just missed the bone, but still pierced several vital bits of flesh. The muscle was practically severed, and it was her own luck that a nerve had not been cut, since that would have taken quite an amount of time for even magic to heal. Loki could not imagine the pain she had been in before he had decided to pursue her.

The tissue was soggy, and although the blood was not spilling due to his spell, he could still see the damage it had done very clearly. It did not disgust him in the least, as he had spent years around warriors, and injuries were a common thing. If Nyx healed half as fast as him, she would be alright.

Summoning up a long strip of gauze, he began to wrap her leg, careful not to squeeze the tender flesh too hard. He definitely did not want her to lose her limb.

"That's all I can do for now." He murmured, sliding his hands beneath her figure and lifting her weight onto his lap. He figured it would be a sensible thing to remain in the alley for the night, as the fallen metal provided a good amount of protection from any who walked by.

She was lighter than he had expected, which only lessened the amount of effort he had to put into standing up, leaving any excess concentration to slowing the blood flow.

Limp in his arms, she looked unusually pale compared to her normal tanned complexion, and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. If his assumptions about her healing quicker than normal were correct, she would be healthy enough to pull through the night, until he could really get to work on healing the flesh.

Although Loki stood there, considering waking her since her leg would be numb, he could not help himself but imagination would could have happened had he not turned up.

Nyx would be dead.

He felt the tears before he could restrain his emotions.

If Loki had not turned up, the one person who seemed to understand him, the one person who seemed to generally accept him would be gone. He looked upwards with a heavy sigh, holding her closer to his chest than before now.

Nyx was under his protection now. She was his. The girl in his arms was the only one whom he knew would not betray him. In such a short time, the bond he had grown with her had strengthened to the point that Loki felt responsible for her.

He smirked a bit at these thoughts, setting himself down on the ground and leaning up against the brick building the metal had once been stationed on. She would be furious with him when she awoke when she remembered the people who had died. The people who she had killed.

Loki looked down upon her for a quick glance, uttering a few words that would have meant nothing to her, but meant the world to him. He was referring to the day's events when he said them.

"Oh, just a bit of fun."

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know there wasn't much dialog, or interaction between Nyx and Loki, but I just thought I would add something that shows what Loki's thinking. The fact that he things that she is his kind of leads up to the possessive side of him, (One of the reviews mentioned that they hoped to see a possessive side of Loki) which I'm actually very excited to write about.**

**Anyways, more is on the way, probably tomorrow! Thank-you for the reviews and support fellow Hiddlestoners/Loki-lovers. 3**

**One last thing! I was wondering if Nyx seems too.. powerful I guess. I've read a few of the other OC/Loki fanfics, and I always notice how the OC's are a bit too, ah, perfect. If she needs a few more flaws, feel free to let me know. I'm trying to match her up with Loki personality wise as well, so if you have any other suggestions, you know what to do. :3**

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Liar

The sun had just begun shedding light upon the alley they were stationed in when her eyes shot open.

She took in the gray scene around her. Walls crawling with dust and grime, cement slabs littering the ground around them, along with several horribly rusted metal grates. It was evident someone had been hasty when cleaning up the cerise pools of blood Nyx's leg had shed just the night before. It disgusted her she was still alive after losing so much of the vital fluids.

"I apologize we are not somewhere more luxurious. I didn't think you were in the state to travel." The voice startled her a bit, but just flinching brought a ripple of pain through her stationary bodice. It did comfort her a bit to realize it was Loki, even given the anger she had felt for him the previous night.

"I feel like shit." She groaned admittedly, rolling her shoulders experimentally. He eyed her curiously, as if he was seeing if the action was painful as well. She felt nothing uncomfortable, and gave him a reassuring smile.

"You're lucky to be alive." He mused, brushing a few ivory strands away from her face with a sheepish grin.

"No thanks to you." She answered, raising her head in order to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. He did not make the slightest objection, but instead smiled at her when she returned back to rest her head on his chest. "Really though. I owe you." She huffed and looked around once again, the events of yesterday lingering in her mind, threatening to sprout the anger she should have felt for him for lying. How could she be angry at him though? He had saved her life.

"You have every right to be angry at me." He said, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. She didn't doubt he had already given his words a lot of thought, and had some sort of apology ready should she scold him for lying, but Nyx had enough sense not to bother. Loki had a way with his words that would wipe her fury away, so why waste the energy?

"Just don't trick me into killing people again, Alright?" She said with a sharp look, hoping to get her point across somewhat without seeming to pathetic. She had, in fact, nearly died.

"You have my word." He had feelings for her, as did she for him. It was obvious. He sensed it was more than just the fact that they shared similar pasts. Both of them were not certain of themselves. They did not yet know who they wanted to be, or what they wanted to do. It was something to appreciate, coming across someone who finally understood him.

"Liar." She retorted, her tone only slightly joking, which brought up a laugh from Loki. Just the fact that she had not burst with anger towards him left him in a baffled state. Why was she so.. antagonizing?

She made a movement as if trying to sit up, but the way he tipped the arm that was holding the upper part of her body back made the attempt useless. She gave him a quizzical look,obviously wondering why he wasn't allowing her up.

"I need to work on your leg. If it starts bleeding again you will not be happy." She made another attempt to sit up, but her only placed a hand against her chest, not allowing her any further movement. "Please."

"Why not take me to a hospital? To give yourself some space. I bore people easily." She said, finally retreating back into the comfort of his cradling arms after a few more feeble efforts of getting up.

"Lady Nyx, if anything you do the complete opposite of that." Her grin was priceless at his words. He had to look away in order to keep his expression blank.

After a few moments of silence, except for Nyx's still slightly short breaths, Loki decided it was time to tackle the problem. "We should see how your leg is doing." He began unwrapping the bandages carefully, yet quickly, as he was eager to see if she did indeed heal faster than normal.

When he finally got down to the last few layers of gauze, he found them slightly sticky with crimson, clinging to her leg so fully, he had to use a dagger to slice off the remaining protection. Although she seemed to be fine beneath his cold touch, he could tell she was both nervous to see the wound, and still mildly surprised Loki was so easily working over her.

"If you don't want to look, I understand." He said, pausing midway through cutting off the last layer of bandages, and if it were not for his careful hands, he would have easily cut into the flesh as well. This thought seemed to come to her mind as well, since she visibly tensed, which ultimately brought more pain to her leg.

"I thought I said I didn't want to be treated like a child." She said in return, gnawing on her lower lip in order to distract herself from the pain which had made itself quite apparent in her leg.

"I'm only trying to protect you." He brought the knife down through the rest of the bandages, peeling the crimson-stained material off of her leg with a quick rip. She felt her teeth pierce the inside of her lip at this.

Even her grip on her lip could not conceal the shock that assembled on her facial expression.

The wound seemed to have scabbed over the night, and surface of where the rod had entered was completely dried blood, and closed up for the most part. The partially healed bits were mixed in with brand new scar tissue, which stood out in pink amongst the dusty red flesh, dried blood sticking to her skin around it and making the gash seem worse than it should have looked.

Despite the gory-looking flesh, the skin surrounding it was completely full with splotches of purple, green, yellow, and brown. The bruises took up the entirety of her leg, half way up her thigh, and stopping just below her ankle.

"Amazing. You heal nearly as fast as I do." He drew his fingers across the surface where the bruises were, and the cold brought relief to the pain that was now making an appearance in the majority of the leg that was injured; her right one.

"You think that mess is amazing?" She choked over her words, watching him with disbelief. He turned to watch her for a few moments. The sun now illuminated her ill-looking features. Pale brown surrounded her sunken eyes, normally tanned skin now barely darker than his own alabaster hue. To the mortal eye, she would seem nothing more than a girl lacking sleep and in desperate need of sunlight, but to him the little things were noticeable. The way the bridge of her nose had a small sheen of sweat over it, how her lips stayed pursed as if she was in constant pain.

"Considering you almost died, yes." He answered darkly, still partially imagining her as a corpse. He could not bring himself to it. The connection he felt to her was much too deep to let her slip through his grasp now. She did not yet know it, but she was not going to get away from him so easily any time soon.

"I'm sorry. Really, I'm just.. a bit shaken, is all. Do you happen to have a newspaper?" She said, her eyes going slightly glazed as she was lost in thought.

"Yes, of course." He frowned slightly when he materialized the paper, and handed it to her waiting hands. It was only then that he realized what she intended to do. She was going to see the result of yesterday's accident. He jerked his hand back sharply, pulling the paper just out of her grasp. "I can't let you."

"Loki, give me the paper." She said strictly, holding out her hand expectantly. He did not falter to respond just as sternly.

"It was not your fault. I will not allow you the guilt." She snarled aloud and dropped her hand.

"It was my fault! I was the one who influenced those people to cause the accidents! I'm the reason people will never see their families agai-" She was cut off when his head was suddenly hovering above her, lips pressed down against hers.

She made an attempt to fend him off for the first few seconds, but she soon realized she was willingly raising her head in order to kiss him back.

It was not a forceful thing, but his touch was gentle over hers. Never pressing too hard, but just enough to let her know that he was in control.

"Loki. St- stop.." She said, placing her head back down on his shoulder, literally searching for the breath to come. It took a few moments, but she regained herself and turned to look at him. "Can I see the paper now?" She huffed a bit as he simply grinned and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Lady Nyx. I'm not about to hurt your conscience." She gave him an irritated look. Their relationship jumbled her thoughts all over again. Little over a day ago, he had been throwing knives at her, now he felt compelled to kiss her?

"You're ridiculously exasperating." She mused, willing her expression to stay completely blank. "What was the kiss for? A simple shush could have sufficed." He cocked his head, as if he was confused by her, instead of vice versa.

"Maybe a shush wasn't good enough for me." Her brows furrowed at his answer. Was she as aggravating as he was being at the moment?

"The God of Mischief, and I'm supposed to believe you did that because a shush was too plain for you? Loki, I want to know what you're getting at. Is there a plan behind all this.. mischief? Do you just want to know what I am? Because in that case, I can't help you. Perhaps you'll have a better chance in a library or something." She began to scoot out of his grasp, only to receive a faint growl in return from him. Nyx looked at Loki cautiously, searching his face for some form of reassurance that the sound was only joking, but found no purchase.

"I wish I could tell you. I honestly do, Lady Nyx. I don't even know where I am going with this. Something I do know though." He paused to read her expression. She did seem a bit frightened, but he figured that was only something to come. She would adapt to him soon enough. She had to. "Is that I am not going to let you out of my sight until I am certain you are able to take care of yourself." It was odd, how Loki had grown to care for her wellbeing. A day ago, he would not have blinked if she simply dropped dead. Now, here he was, tending to her wounds and allowing her to sleep in his arms. It wasn't unpleasant to him, just very.. Not himself, and Loki had a feeling she felt the same about his actions; that they were not normal.

"You know I can already take care of myself." She laughed a bit, trying to shed a bit of light on the awkward conversation. "Although it may not seem like it thus far.." Nyx gestured to her leg sheepishly, which was in fact still in the hold of Loki's slender hands. "Believe me. You won't have to babysit me for long."

"Babysit?" He looked at her quizzically, the malice having left his tone.

"It's a mortal term, meaning.. I guess taking care of someone. Or something." He nodded, mentally wondering why mortals would create such a term that referred to sitting on babies, but was actually meant to mean taking care of an object. Mortals were so basic, yet so troubling.

"Consider yourself taken care of, then." He said, once again removing his hand from her wound, and instead absently tracing the hollow of her neck with a single slender finger. He could feel goose bumps in the path of his touch, and this brought a grin to his face.

"I'll keep training on a few conditions." She said abruptly, causing him to halt his tracing in order to listen. "No more killing mortals, no more kissing without permission-" She tilted her head to look at him pointedly, which he only returned with a smug smile. "And we go back to the forest. This place smells like crap."

"Deal." He answered, proceeding to draw his finger across the curve of her neck, intrigued by how pleasantly warm, and soft her skin was beneath his.

She simple reached up, taking his hand in hers with a firm grip. The word that came out of her mouth next only grew the liking he had taken to her. Nyx's smirk while she said it was priceless under the gaze of his viridian orbs.

"Liar."

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I thought I'd try to grow their relationship a bit before adding in a bit of chaos. Since Nyx is injured and won't be able to do much, what's a better time to talk? On a side note, I'll be making the chapters longer from now on, since it's getting a bit troublesome to keep their conversations small.**

**Thank-you all for the reviews/alerts/favourites and such. 3**


	12. Rules

"Are you hungry yet?" They had been pointless bantering for little over an hour, Nyx still sprawled across Loki's lap and chest carelessly, him gently trying to ease the pain in her leg with his continuous touch. The icy feeling of his fingers against the bruised flesh did miracles for the pain, and it was admittedly quite enjoyable, although she would never say so to his face.

If it did not seem so weird that Nyx had wanted absolutely nothing to do with the man just two days ago, it may have been that much more pleasant, but for the moment Nyx was simply playing safe and trying not to become too attached to him. She wasn't very successful.

"Oddly enough, I'm not." Loki hadn't bothered to teleport the pair of them back to the forest just yet, because it was useless at the moment, when he would only end up coming back to the city when her appetite grew. Something about conjured food creeped her out a bit.

"Well, shall we head to the forest then?" He asked, too impatient to wait much longer, as the stink of the alley was beginning to greatly bother him. Receiving a nod from her in response, it was enough for him, and he quickly tightened his grip on her.

Mere seconds later, and they were leaning up against one of the larger-trunk trees, rather the dingy wall of a city building. It brought Loki a sort of relief that they were out of the presence of mortals, but he was also quite disappointed that he had not gotten the chance to practice his magic on a few of the unsuspecting ones.

"We're here." Her eyes had been clenched tightly shut, but they opened up, taking a deep breath through her nose in order to rid the stagnant presence of smog from her head. It took a few moments, but she quickly took in her surroundings with a faint smile.

It was only when a look of pain crossed her features that he realized his now tight grasp on her injury was much too firm. He quickly adjusted, and this was much to her satisfaction.

Loki ran a hand tenderly across the flesh of her shin, careful to maneuver around the gash that had literally begun to heal before her eyes.

Most of the skin was shining pink as a fresh scar, and with him having dealt with the scarlet that had been earlier smeared across her leg, it didn't seem nearly as bad as it felt. Even the bruises were turning more yellow than anything, most of them dispersing. Loki noticed her staring at her leg, and let out a friendly snicker.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" He mused, drawing his fingers closer to the wound than before, the feel of his cold skin bringing loads of relief to the throbbing.

"You're sure you aren't using any magic to heal it faster?" She asked, eyes still trained on how insanely the injury had cleared up since the metal rod had been literally jutting from her leg. The thought made her bite her tongue, partly in disgust, partly in disbelief.

"You would know if I was." He said in return. Nyx knew she would have felt the familiar tingling if he was, in fact, using his magic to speed up the process, but she had hoped. Hope did not seem to be on her side much lately. She had hoped Loki would leave the night he had followed her. She had hoped Loki was wrong about her being more than human. She had hoped Loki would be truthful with her when he had said the previous day's test would not involve death. Secretly, Nyx had partly hoped Loki would defy her wishes, and kiss her again. Perhaps all hope to her, was not false hope unless proven, or maybe she was just that stubborn.

Loki seemed to notice the way a haze had come over her eyes, signaling that she wasn't really looking at him, but thinking deeply. "Are you alright?" The words felt so alien in his mouth. On his silver tongue. They didn't feel like him. Not that Loki hadn't come to accept that this one being had brought out a side of him he would have rather left hidden, but that he still was not used to acting so.

"It's just so.. unreal." She murmured, adjusting her position so that she was sitting on the ground, only her legs draped across his lap, with her own back pressed across the trunk that joined with the one Loki was leaned against. "I mean, Loki, you're a God. A god." She huffed in exasperation. It was just one of those moments when she truly realized what was happening. In Nyx's case, it wasn't as easy to wrap her head around. Her face paled a bit more as she pondered exactly what was going on. The God of Mischief, The Trickster, Silvertongue, the man who she related to most. He was there, and she was having extreme trouble accepting it.

"For all we know, you could be one as well. Although I highly doubt that. I don't imagine the Greek Goddess of Night sleeps nearly as much as you." He said teasingly, gazing directly at her with a sort of interested look. It was almost as if he was studying her. She rolled her eyes and frowned a bit.

"It's just a name, Loki." Tucking her hair behind her ear and swiveling her neck away from his gaze, which she could actually define as mesmerizing at the present time, she let out a breathless laugh. She couldn't really comprehend what was going on at the moment, and for just for a short second, she became panicked.

"Is it?" He murmured, brows raising simultaneously as if to emphasize the point. For this, Nyx had no answer, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Neither seemed to have the desire to spark up conversation, and they were both satisfied enough with the quiet. That was, until, Nyx had a thought that she could not ignore.

"How old are you?" She asked him, earning an amused look by him in response. Of course, she should have expected his reaction, since it was such an off-the-topic question.

"Much older than you, Lady Nyx." He answered, giving her a wink before returning to staring blankly at the wall of green in front of him. He seemed deep in thought, but she wanted to talk again, since doing absolutely nothing was not appealing to her at all.

"That isn't the answer I was looking for." She said pointedly, folding her arms across her chest in a small gesture to prove her disapproval in his answer.

"You've read the legends and heard the stories, surely you already know." He said, fixating his eyes on the ground in front of her. Nyx was becoming more irritated by him by the moment. It was only her common sense that kept her from asking him to heal her leg with magic so she could work out her differences with him through less civil techniques, such as sparring. She would only be asking for more pain if she did so though, and that was not something she favoured.

"How long until I can walk?" She continued, but this time he did not turn to face her, but the ghost of a grin surfaced partially on his mouth.

"How long until you will begin to trust me?" He said, not even stealing a glance at her. It bothered her further.

"I remember you telling me it was wise not to." She bit her lip at this, stiffening a bit when both of his lean hands removed themselves from her leg, instead becoming intrigued in a small snake which was weaving itself throughout his fingers. The coils were completely golden, shimmering in the light that made it's way across him. It moved quickly, and Nyx could not tell if it had a head, tail, or both. Possibly just two blunt ends.

It had not been there the moment before, and Nyx decided he had conjured it as he was growing bored, just as she was.

"Things change." He looked to her now, a sort of gleam in his eyes that told her he was thinking of something that brought him pleasure. From what she knew of him, it involved magic, seeing as magic always brought Loki pleasant thoughts.

"Do I have a choice?" She retorted dryly, attempting to figure out what he was getting at.

"You must know with me, there is always a choice. Always." Loki's nerves were on end now. How would he handle it were she to react badly to what he was about to do? "Close your eyes." He whispered, softly placing her legs on the ground nearest to the tree and slowly pressing towards her. "Please."

The look she gave him was mostly calm, but he noticed the rising tension. Even then, she obliged and closed her lids.

His palm automatically found it's way to her cheek, caressing the soft skin in the light grip of his hand. The snake slithered down his wrist and dispersed in a small wisp of smoke.

He spoke the next few words in one breath, knowing he would have to sacrifice the next.

"Don't fight me."

Nyx could barely react before she felt the familiar pressure of his lips over hers, the well known tingle in the back of her neck. His hands gathering her face in a gentle touch, more keeping her stable than anything else. He pulled back for a moment, and she thought she caught a smug smile playing on his lips before the world swayed around her.

The tingling spread, almost like wildfire in the already weak flesh in her leg. It was like a sensation of.. she couldn't describe it, but it was not too uncomfortable that she had to cry out. She could not anyway, as his lips were on hers once again, this time slightly more forcefully. Nyx would have pulled away, if only to catch her breath, or even better, to yell at him, but his handheld on the sides of her face had grown to strong for her to fend off.

Cold. She could only describe it as cold. He did not seem to be deliberately trying to anger her, she knew that he wouldn't after how he had taken to her, but something about what he was doing, it had a purpose. He was using magic, one thing she was certain of. Why else would her own be acting up?

"Open your eyes." Loki's voice was little more than a whisper. It was just audible above the sound of his stifled breaths. He had grown tiresome in the short amount of time. Not only from the kiss, but as well from the magic he had been concentrating on using. It was healing magic. Loki had not been able to hold back the little self restraint he had when he had finally noticed how in-pain she had seemed. He could only hope the magic had not reacted badly to her.

"I thought.. we agreed on something." She snarled, pushing him backwards with both palms. She rose to her feet. "We had a deal!" She balled her fists, not yet realizing the change in her form. She was standing on her leg. "Do you do nothing else but lie?" Her voice had grown larger, and Loki just silently regained his posture, standing a few feet away from her cautiously. "Is that silver tongue of yours capable of truth?" Her words, her tone, it was acidic. Loki had never seen Nyx this angry.

"Answer me, Odinson." Her words burnt straight through him, racking his body with an angry shudder. She had truly gone so far as to speak of his past? She had not even taken notice of what he had done for her yet.

Loki was trying to keep his rage from spilling. She had actually called him the name he had been declined of. The name that could truly bring out the hurt, betrayed side of Loki. She didn't seem to care about how dark his expression had become.

"You don't understand what it's like to be on the other end of one of your lies." She said, gripping the hilt of the blade in her sheath with a single trembling hand. His gaze drew down to the knife, dearly hoping she would just attack him. It would only be fair that she made the first move, and so he resisted the urge to take the initiative.

"Look.. at your leg." He said, barely able to keep his tone civil. Under the circumstances, he was just getting by appearing approachable, what with the glare he was sending her way.

She frowned and looked down, catching sight of the mess that used to be the wound. It was covered back up in the thin dark material that clung to her leg, but not uncomfortably. She felt no pain coming from the area, and looked back up to catch Loki's infuriated gaze. It didn't take her any time to figure out that he had healed her. Why the theatrics then?

"It was not healing magic." He acknowledged her expression, reading her thoughts by simply looking at her. She was wondering why he had kissed her. "An ancient form of magic. The.. interaction was necessary in order for me to transfer my own abilities to you." He had visibly calmed and recovered from her insult, and was slowly moving towards him, the smugness plastered over his display quite clear. "Don't tell me you did not enjoy it."

"I didn't enjoy it." She growled halfheartedly, letting go of the knife handle with still tense hands.

"You're lying to the God of Lies." He mused, stopping a few feet in front of her. She would still be furious with him, and the insult had only been a retort. Loki scolded himself for being so vulnerable to the name.

"You said I have a choice." She huffed and wiped her face, his taste still lingering dangerously strong on her lips. "Promise me something." It pained her horribly, and she even stiffened her jaw, barely able to steel her expression from breaking it's naturally strong state. "Swear on your life that you will not lie to me."

"My life is not worth that promise." He said in return, and he could tell she noticed the conflict within his words. He thought he was telling the truth, but Nyx, seeing another so alike herself, had been in the same situation as him. The situation when you wanted nothing more than to leave it all behind.

"I'm not going to argue with you, Loki." Her brows furrowed as she tried to pick out the right words. "But if you really care, you'll respect my rule." She raised her voice a bit in order for him to notice she had not made the word plural. "When we're done, once you're satisfied. You fight me without magic." She grinned a bit. Her foul moods didn't linger when she was around Loki. Something about the way he could hide his emotions was a bit inspiring.

"I think you left out a few rules." He answered, troubled by her sudden change of heart. Perhaps if the day came, which she was certain it would, she would get the revenge she sourly wanted on him.

"Would you rather I make a list?" Nyx countered jokingly. Even she surprised herself sometimes. She was practically giving Loki free reign.

He simply shook his head, and took her in his arms once again, bringing her closer towards his chest than before. The smirk she gave him was genuine, and his own smile sincere as he looked down upon her. She was not leaving any time soon.

"If the day does come, I will fight you. Until then.. well, Lady Nyx I do hope you are prepared."

**I know it probably isn't as long as you expected, and for that, I blame school. Don't worry though, I've got lots planned. :3  
Anyways, I hope you doods enjoyed this chapter, once again. I do hope I'll be able to get into a bit of chaos in the next few chapters. Until then, thanks for reading!**


	13. Sparring

**I'm so sorry for the delay! Honestly, I hadn't expected so many things to interfere with my writing. School is guilty in this case.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

"Remind me how exactly you healed my leg. I mean.. Loki, that wasn't any small injury. How did you know I wouldn't react differently to the magic, being the.. creature, I am?" Nyx asked, prying herself out of his arms and stepping back towards the thick tree they had slept against the previous night.

"It's ancient transfer magic. Meaning I was able to, through the physical interaction, share with you, myself. For a moment, you were equal to me. By this, I mean your abilities to heal faster, to think on a greater scale, immortality. I've read about it on several occasions, and have never had the chance to test it, since Asgard was never plentiful with.. Non Asgardians." He said the last bit rather silently, the pain in his voice easily recognized. "As for the risk, I was hoping your kind would not take badly to the magic." There that words was again; Hope. Nyx nodded to him in understanding, although part of her refused to accept that the kiss was not fully a magical experiment.

"Shall we spar?" He said, obviously antsy to fight with her. Loki had not had the pleasure of exercising his magic on mortals, and she seemed able-bodied enough to take more of it than the humans anyway.

Nyx grinned and unsheathed her emerald dagger, rolling the hilt along her hand experimentally, a spark of excitement in her pale green eyes as she gave him a jovial look. Clearly, she was anticipating the moment when their blades would clash just as much as he, no matter her extreme disadvantage due to her lack of experience in fighting.

"Gladly." Her voice was hinting of a challenge. Loki had grown to care for her wellbeing, but these thoughts seemed to slip his mind as he rested his hands at his sides eagerly, itching to draw the first array of knives. He was certain she would be able to hold her own well enough against him. Something about the way she appeared confident assured him of this.

"Ladies first." He gave a curt bow, knowing she would need all the help she could get in the fight against the prince. He had received much more training and practice than her, but she seemed just as ready. If not, the dark anticipation that had suddenly washed across her aura was even stronger than his own. It made him that much more eager to see how she would fight against him.

"I don't care for head starts." She said in response, urging the slight tickle at the back of her neck to spread. Nyx would need magic to keep herself from another injury, since she knew perfectly well Loki had no intentions of taking it easy on her.

"I didn't think you would." With this, his jaw stiffened, the defined cheekbones curving delicately as a smirk played over his features. Reaching backwards for momentum, he swung his arm straight out, three knives launching through the air and straight towards her. She easily rolled out of the path of the oncoming blades, only proving to Loki that her senses were definitely up to par. This much, he had expected, but when she regained her feet and began sprinting towards him, it took him slightly by surprise. Was she simply caught up in the adrenaline, and not noticing her faulty move, or was she already steps ahead?

Either way, he slammed out with the blunt end of one of his several daggers. It passed straight through as if it was one of Loki's own Doppelganger.

"Nyx.." He said, obviously enthralled she had picked up the ability to duplicate herself quicker than even he had predicted. It was only when he saw her, out of breath, and half way up the abnormally thick tree that he chuckled out of amusement. "I told you it was tiresome." He called out matter-of-factly, only earning a snicker from her in response.

"Are you suggesting I'm too tired to continue? After mere _seconds_?" She said in response, straightening out on the branch and twisting the dagger around between her hands. The tingling was still strong throughout her figure, although her limbs did feel like they had each gained an extra few pounds after the little trick she had tried. Nyx had not expected it to work, nor had she expected to feel so drained. "Or are you looking for an excuse to stop before I embarrass you further?" Her words were teasing, and she dropped down from the tree with barely more than a light thud.

That was when Loki realized how she had advanced so quickly. How silent her steps had become, the way a devious smirk had always seemed to come across her features lately, her witty remarks. She was learning from him. This thought both entertained and frightened him.

"That was just a start, Lady Nyx." He brought up his own dagger, roughly the size of hers, if not a bit larger, and cocked his head with a smile. She brought up her weapon in unison. "Ready to continue?" Her breaths had become slightly less ragged, and she regained a fighting posture within a few seconds.

"Of course." She said in return, swiveling on her heels less than seconds later as he launched the blade through the air. It lodged in the tree next to her, and Nyx took the opportunity to yank it from the wood and use it for her own. Before she could bring his knife out from the trunk, he was beside her, his hands grasped firmly around her, a tiny knife edge pressed against the thin flesh of her throat.

"Does this mean I win?" He whispered, gently pressing his nose further into her hair, nearing enough to her ear that he did not even need to speak the words in more than a breath.

"Not yet." She said, bringing an elbow back against his chest. The resulting puff of air against her cheek told her she had at least startled him, and using the time it took for him to recover, she gripped his wrist and pulled outwards, away from her throat.

He seemed to notice what she was doing, and clenched back in with his arm, but found no purchase on her neck, as she had ducked and moved away.

Loki was behind her again in seconds, but this time Nyx anticipated it, and swiped her knife across the open air behind her. Her arm had passed straight through his illusion, and she could feel his presence behind her once again.

"Cheater." She growled, diving off to one side once again as another volley of blades pierced the air where she had been standing. It was the exhilarating feeling of fighting that kept her on her toes when he sent another dagger her way.

Narrowly avoiding it with a quick jerk to the side, Nyx could have sworn the edge of the thing had nearly cut off a portion of her hair. She turned to face him, raising her eyebrows daringly. "That was a bit close." She said, emitting a double of herself ahead in a feeble attempt at tricking the grinning trickster.

He brought his hand across the magic with a fluid movement, coming up still slightly surprised. Loki had to admit, she was beginning to get a hold on the trick.

Still though, Nyx had to make her way behind one of the many surrounding trees in order to catch her breath. It was tiring, fighting him, not that she had expected any less.

"Hiding?" His voice was right beside her this time, and she lashed out with the knife, only implanting the blade into one of the multiple thick branches that now surrounded her. Had Loki made the trees grow?

"How do you expect me to fight you if I'm stuck in a bunch of trees?" She exclaimed, still grasping desperately on the receding tingling. It was hard to focus on the sensation when she was not provoked to. It was only when she was extremely angry, or sad, or another emotion that truly brought up her magic. Clearly, Nyx needed more practice.

"You're intelligent. Surely you can figure it out." He mused from somewhere outside the green cage, amusement tingeing his tone greatly.

"You're impossible." She said in response, blindly tearing out at the branches with both her knife, and his that she had picked up. He laughed from somewhere off to her left, and she kicked in his general direction in frustration. "Give me a hint?" She asked meekly, squinting in order to see through the miniscule cracks the greens and bark did not cover.

"If I said magic would you believe me?" He teased, willing the wood to recede just enough so that he could look at her. She looked exhausted, to say the least, and this only confirmed his suspicion that the effects of fatigue that using magic brought affected her just as well as any.

To this she let out a breath, gripping the blade handles tightly as she pooled her concentration on manipulating the slight tingling which seemed to be branching from the nape of her neck, and along her body. Slowly but surely, it seemed to grow stronger, exactly as she had hoped.

"Loki, how am I supposed to do this?" She grounded her jaw, holding on to the focus that threatened to leave her mind at any moment. It was this that seemed to cause her so much trouble. Nyx could not stay thinking about just one thing. She had always been scolded for her imagination, and she assumed she had this to thank for her attention issues. "You're a horrible teacher." She added.

"Just think about how much you want to get out. Focus your energy on that one goal." The way his voice came from different directions, she assumed he was circling her, but eyes clenched shut, she didn't bother to check if that was true. "Allow it to fill you up, and when you can no longer restrain it, just let go." His voice was a bit further back now, and she guessed it was for his own safety. He was just as clueless as to what the result would be as her.

She opened her eyes to give him one last look, as he was now practically raising his voice at the distance he had made between them. He trusted her control less than she thought, and this gave her a bit of encouragement to make sure her next trick would be one to remember.

Nyx took another breath, this one deeper than the last, trying to put herself in some sort of calm. She remembered Loki mentioning somewhere in their bantering back in the city that powerful magic required total relaxation. It was hard work, considering she was becoming more claustrophobic by the second, and her concentration on the tingling had made the feeling grow so widely, it almost itched beneath her skin.

Her knuckles went white with strain as she fuelled the sensation to her best efforts, nearly spilling it out as he had said it would feel like it would. It made her ears ring and her head throb, but she just kept building on, supplying the growing butterflies in her stomach with thoughts of.. well, anything that made her feel strongly. It started out with angry memories, which helped a bit, and ended with her recalling any powerful feeling she had felt. It seemed to work, as Nyx could just barely control the magic from swelling up and bursting.

"Now let it go." Loki said, his tone silky and like velvet to her ears, which were now blaring sirens through her head to their content. Nyx could do no more than comprehend his words, and as she felt the release of the energy, the eruption starting from her feet and coursing up to her neck, it felt just like it had before when she had used magic to create her double. Only this time, it was much more powerful, and the drained feeling overcame her senses before she noticed the wave-like thing of blinding light that had protruded from her form.

Nyx crumpled to the ground, only stopping herself from impact by placing her fists on either side of her. The smell of charred wood and smoke wafted into her nostrils. She coughed a bit, and sputtered while raising to her feet. Loki was just visible at least twenty or so meters up, perched in a tree, enjoying the show. Her look could not have been any less sharp than the daggers she was grasping firmly. The fight was not over.

"It's a trick I learned a while back. You weren't knowingly doing it, but-" He gestured around her, where the smoky remains of several surrounding trees once stood. "-You just conjured up enough fire to clear out.. a fairly large room. Bravo." He clapped briefly and was on the ground again within seconds. With his alabaster skin still perfectly clean, armour not even hinting disarray, Nyx didn't bother to compare their appearances. Her own clothing was tattered and ripped in a few places, matted down with dirt. The only thing she was thankful for at the moment was the gauntlets and torso armour he had provided her with.

"Are we going to talk, or spar?" She countered, mustering up the breath she had to keep her voice from it's now raspy state. Any bit of tingling she had was depleted, and her throat and mouth felt like sandpaper. Nyx was in no state to fight, but she would not give him the satisfaction. Not yet.

"You're enjoying yourself? I thought by now you would be exhausted." He said, obviously bewildered she still wished to continue. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with the tip of her dagger and smiled.

"I never said I wasn't tired. I'm just waiting until you are as well." She bit her bottom lip to keep from showing how truly out-of-breath she was. "You don't expect me to give up when you don't even have a scratch, do you?" He seemed to notice her defiant display, what with the way she held herself upwards, and how her pale eyes seemed to gleam every second. It was unlike something he had seen before. Not the brute display Thor was in the heat of battle, but more of a sort of joy. She enjoyed the fight, but did not crave it as Thor had, which was something to cherish. Loki had found someone with a view very similar to his own on fighting.

"I'm only considering your wellbeing." He mused, concern showing slightly in his voice as he looked her over. He would not press as hard as he had before, but knew she would be offended if he lightened up too much. "Would you believe me if I said I am getting a small bit tired, Lady Nyx?" He had to try, even if the lie even sounded weak coming from him.

"I'll be alright, but thank-you for your consideration." She rolled her eyes a bit at his second answer, clearly stalling. Nyx wanted as much energy back as she could manage to gather before he called her out on talking instead of fighting. "I would not believe it for a second."

He had expected this answer, and let out a sigh. As much as he wanted to continue their friendly challenge, something told him she would only be able to refuse how truly drained she was for a little while longer. He recalled telling her she would hate him by the time they were done. He was not lying. When the sparring came to the point that he had to full-on use his magic to fight her, she would not like it. Loki was not a ruthless fighter, but he had once been a prince, and could even contend with his brother on multiple levels.

"You are not going to hold out for much longer." He countered, allowing a smirk to fill his features as he edged the challenge between them further. It was not wise to do so, but at the present time, he knew he would have no chance convincing her to let it go. He recalled a saying. _If you can't beat them, join them._

"I guess we'll wait and see." She blinked a few times, frantically, as if sizing him up, looking for any form of vulnerability on his lean, muscular, leather and metal clad figure.

She seemed satisfied with a certain point, as she darted out towards him in a sort of zigzag pattern, avoiding his first few dagger throws narrowly.

Reaching out to swipe upwards with her knife, he dodged it with ease, only to be skimmed by the hilt of the weapon as she swiveled on her heels and let out another thrash. This surprised him by the least, but he recovered and brought out a stiletto of his own, this one a glinting thing that could have been made of pure silver. It probably was.

Nyx avoided his first swing, but was left with a thin slice on the back of her hand when she tried to counter his attack. Not even a cringe escaped her lips, and Loki brought up his elbow to meet her stomach, sending her stumbling a few steps backwards.

This time, the air escaped her mouth in a heap, leaving her short of breath as she lunged in to attack with both daggers at once. He conjured up a double and teleported himself behind her, but this time she seemed prepared for this move, and brought her arm back against his own abdomen. If it weren't for the plate beneath her sweater, she would have been left with a bruise instead of him, but it was not that way. Loki showed no sign of being affected by the blow, and instead brought the knife down and across her cheek, careful to not penetrate the skin too deeply. He did not want to wound her too badly, but to make up for the hit she had gotten off on him.

She seemed to notice what he was doing, and sneered tauntingly, taking a few steps away from him in order to give her some space. Loki still did not seem the least bit out of breath, or showing any other signs of disorder for that matter.

"Do you ever get tired?" She said through sharp breaths. He simply grinned and wiped the blood from the end of his blade, visibly inspecting the crimson before ridding the silver of it on his garments. Nyx made a show to fix her elbow plating after the hit she had dealt to him. He seemed to notice this, and a laugh escaped his lips.

"There is no shame in forfeiting for now. It is still day time, and there is much to do. I don't think you would want to waste the daylight battling it out with me, Lady Nyx." He said, eyeing his emerald blade still in her hand.

"Daylight? I've always preferred nighttime. It tends to be when I spend most of my time awake." She retorted, the gravelly edge in her voice now completely clear. Her throat burned dryly as if to add on to this.

"That is why you sleep so much? The night I met you, you slept most of the day the next day.. You spend most of your time around during the night. You've only been sleeping so much because I've changed your sleeping pattern." He said, obviously enthralled by the sudden explanation to why she had recently seemed so tired. "Why?" Loki prodded her further, his thoughts drifting away from the fight and to the new discovery.

"I've learned that night is the best time to move around. It makes me feel safe. Daylight is just begging for exposure." She answered, sheathing her blade, obviously trying to be subtle while telling him that she was finished with the sparring for the day. He felt slightly relieved she had retreated to some form of accepting that she could not best him yet. This thought made him wonder if she would ever be able to. It was interesting to him to try and predict what events the future would behold.

"That makes sense. Still though, My Lady. You trouble me terribly." He said, his thoughts becoming jumbled as he ran this over in his mind. She had good sense to travel at night, and Loki knew he would have easily made the same decision, but it still made him wonder how she had adapted to the fact that she had been living in the dark. It wasn't an easy thing, to give up sunlight.

"At least I win there." She said in response, obviously taking pride in how she was still completely able to confuse him. It was his turn to sneer, and she only ignored him and instead took a seat at the foot of one of the charred remains of the trees. He took the liberty of growing out a bit of the grass beneath her, in order to make her more comfortable.

Nyx gave him a thankful look, and brought her sleeve up to the cuts that were now apparent on her face, obviously attempting to wipe up the blood which had been smeared halfway across her forehead. Only one made itself apparent by stinging, but the others were still very much there.

"You treat everything like a competition. Why?" He asked, standing just a few feet in front of where she was seated.

"For the same reason you treat everything like a game. When there's something to be won, it gives you that little boost of encouragement you need to do your best." She said in response, her throat making her voice come out much raspier than normal. He seemed to notice this, and chuckled.

"The dryness will last for while after your first attempt at conjuring flames. I'm surprised you haven't complained yet at all, Lady Nyx." He said, offering her a hand, meaning for her to get up so they could head to the city. Surely she was growing hungry.

"Where I come from, there are no servants or handmaidens to listen to my complaints." She said sheepishly, giving him a thoughtful look before seizing his wrist and pulling herself upwards. He did not even sway when she pulled, which only reinforced just how delicate she must have seemed compared to him.

"I'm more than willing to. Seeing as we'll be spending plenty of time around each other, feel free to rant to your heart's content." He said, twirling a lock of her ivory hair in his fingers, his gaze never leaving her own.

"There isn't enough time in my lifetime to finish my rant." She murmured softly, reaching up and taking hold of the hand which had become entwined in the snarls of her curls. Loki rolled his eyes and pressed the palm of his hand against her cheek, stroking the back of her neck softly with his slender fingers. It calmed her nerves by the slightest, and she gave him a sincere smile.

It was only when he moved down so that their brows were nearly touching that her own heart seemed to start up again, back into alert mode. He whispered a few words, which only seemed to add to the moment.

"Maybe you will not be confined to the short lifetime of a mortal."

**I hope you enjoyed a bit of fighting. I understand I'm not the best at describing action scenes, but if you can imagine it playing out in your head, that's all-the-better. (:**

**Thank-you so much for the attention, and I look forward to getting more reviews! You're all lovely people. Honestly.**


	14. When Nightfall Comes

Nyx didn't know how to respond to something like that.

Whether there was truth in his words, or he was just saying so to provide her with some comfort, she didn't know. It was hard to tell when he was telling a lie, but she could have sworn Loki's tone had some bit of hopefulness in it.

She smiled into his hand, and looked further upwards so that the bridge of her nose was touching the tip of his. He grinned back and lowered his head, lips falling into place on hers, but much more gentle than before. It was as if he was just testing her once again. Trying to find the point when she would stop, restraining himself from going any further that she would feel uncomfortable. He knew he had much more experience in the areas of romance, although Loki didn't exactly consider what they had to be just that. Not yet. He suppressed an eager grin against her lips.

"Hungry, My Lady?" He pulled his head slightly backwards, viridian eyes opening with a certain look to them that Nyx couldn't help but match with her own. She read his as some twisted form of mirth, and she knew hers must have looked just the same.

"Food." She agreed, bringing a sharp smirk over his lips. He removed his hands from where they had found their way to both sides of her neck, his fingers having absently laced themselves in her hair, and stepped backwards.

"We'll walk." He stated, suddenly unable to stifle the urge the idea gave him. He didn't have trouble taking to this sudden thought, as it gave him more time to talk to her. All-the-more time to figure her out, which was something he desperately needed to do if he was to keep his sanity. She was already confusing him, bringing him to a loss for words at times, he was not about to surrender his mind to her. The thought made him snicker, as he had always been the one who had done so to others back on Asgard.

"Hm, Loki?" She said, raising her eyebrows as she ran her eyes down his appearance. He was still in his Asgardian armour, and she in her own matted garments. He caught on pretty quickly, as she became enveloped in the golden glow just as he was. The tingling didn't come as strongly as it had before this time, and she was able to ignore it.

Looking down upon herself, Nyx found that he had chose to stick with the same outfit. The emerald hooded sweater and durable legging-like pants, but everything was newly cleaned and the foul odor that had developed over time had been dispersed.

This time though, the gauntlets extended out into a partially padded black leather glove, only leaving her fingers free. She wiggled her knuckles experimentally, making a fist a few times, and found that they still gave her just as much movement as when she had not had them.

Loki was in what looked to be the pants of a tuxedo, with a simple raven black leather jacket and olive green short sleeve below that. Nyx nodded in approval of his newly acquired mortal clothing, and headed back towards the direction of the city. She only knew her way by the scent that the wind blew their way; the smog and musty fragrance of pollution. It was disgusting, the more she thought about it.

Striding beside her within a matter of seconds, his pace having quickened slightly upon getting rid of the weight his armour added, he caught her facial expression. She was still partially hiding a smile from the embrace they had shared a few moments ago. Loki nearly patted himself on the back. Nyx seemed almost vulnerable, something which did not come often at all.

"What are you hungry for?" He asked as they bumped arms absently. Nyx made a move to slip a little further away from him, and he did the same. Neither could quite figure out where the connection between them stopped; how far could Loki go before she stopped?

"Well, considering you seem to dislike restaurants-" She looked to him accusingly, obviously remembering the death-like looks he had given the mortal waitress. "-We could always pick up something from the street vendors. Hot dogs never get old." She seemed quite content with the idea, but his brows furrowed in response to her words.

"Surely you would like something nicer than a.. 'Hot Dog' for your lunch?" He said, more so referring to the certain disliking he had developed for the greasy, burnt smell that the street food always carried around. Loki was hungry as well, and he had no intentions of eating the garbage.

"I'm not particularly picky." Nyx said, longing for water more than anything. She even considered asking Loki to conjure her some, but restrained herself as soon as she thought about it. She couldn't yet understand where his summoned items came from, even if it was magic and therefore needed no explanation. It still bothered her.

"I guess we will wait and see." He broke through the tree line, Nyx only a few steps behind, and began through the knee-high grass towards the bustling streets. The forest was very, very small, and that was to be expected on an island such as Manhattan. It was not a common thing that Nyx happened to live on a farm on the land, as the housing variety was mostly apartments inside the main parts of the city.

They then continued in silence, stealing side glances at each other once in a while. If only, Nyx was making sure Loki was still there, and not playing another trick on her. His tests had proven to be interesting, and came at unexpected times. This caused her to be on her toes most of the time, ready to summon her magic if the time would come. Part of her hoped it would. Something about using magic gave her a certain burst of joy that she couldn't yet explain the reasoning for. Even using it on the day she had been influencing people in the city had provided her with a kind of smugness.

"How do you do it?" He turned towards her suddenly, taking her shoulder with his own hand. She didn't seem at all surprised, but instead drew her dagger from her sheath upon instinct. She raised it upwards so that it hovered between them, inches away from Loki's throat. He didn't even flinch, or seem stunned at all by the defensive action.

"Do what?" She said in response, slowly lowering the blade as her nerves calmed themselves once again. Just a few days with the prince, and she was already gaining his awareness. It scared her, and she decided to make an effort to hold on to her old self in the future. Her old self being the shy, observant girl she had been in the presence of her 'Father'. Loki had brought out a sort of cunning, dark, yet enjoyable side of her. This thought pressed her further to being frightened, and she shot him an irritated look.

"Never before, has anyone been able to leave me so.. clueless." He said the last word quite shamefully, emerald optics nearly glowing in the glint of the sun. She furrowed her brows, quite evidently trying to make sense of his words. What was she doing that was angering him?

"I could say the same about you." Nyx said in reply, the pain lessening in her shoulder as he loosened his grip. It was true, that Loki stunned her, mesmerized her even. Everything about him was so incredibly mischievous. His title could not have suited him better. "_You're The God of Mischief_. Don't argue with me about leaving people clueless. I have no idea what you're doing most of the time, or why you're doing it."

"The feeling is mutual." He murmured, letting go of her shoulder completely and continuing through the grass, which had shortened considerably as they had almost reached the first civilized road. His outburst had been sudden, but Nyx had grown accustomed to his sudden changes just barely enough to restrain herself from appearing surprised by it. This new found defense against him proved useful both in battle and normal talks. It always kept her the least bit alert, or calm if something were to come up.

They stepped on to the sidewalk, weaving though crowds upon crowds of people. No one gave them a second look, as Loki had taken the liberty of getting rid of Nyx's knife and sheath, and they truly appeared normal. It was something to be enjoyed for her, as she hadn't had the chance to feel so ordinary since meeting the god who was walking beside her. Thinking about this made her a bit sad, as she half missed going to school, or spending hours on end in the tiny willow forest by her farm. It was much too easy to wash away these thoughts when David, her 'Father' came to mind.

"What kind of food did you have on Asgard?" She asked, rather loudly over the continuous idle chatter of the swarming crowd. Loki turned to her with a quizzical expression. Nyx had never asked about Asgard before, not including when she had questioned him of his past, and it was odd of her to bring it up.

"Delicacies of all variety, My Lady." He answered, the mention of food automatically bringing Volstagg to his mind. He kept his expression blank while thinking about his bearded 'Friend'. It obviously wasn't good enough, as Nyx caught on to his discomfort, and changed the subject. Still, Loki was thankful for how observant she was at times.

"What do you plan to do? I mean, you can't just be on earth because of me." She asked, snatching him out of the path of a horde of teenagers, and towards one of the less-busy streets. He complied with her dragging, and they were out of the main area within a few minutes, the question lingering in Loki's mind as he tried to think of a suitable answer.

"To tell the truth, I do not know. I like to leave the page blank sometimes. It gives you room for new opportunities. Maybe something will come up once I grow bored of you." He responded teasingly. Nyx cocked her head in response, stepping in front of him so that they were facing each other directly.

"Do you know me to be boring?" She knew Loki was only taunting her, as his little tricks and games always involved such joking. Still, something about being deemed boring sparsely bothered her. She had always tried to live up to expectations, and judging by his story, the prince had very similar experiences in that area. If so, much, much more than her.

"I am only joking, Lady Nyx. You have not left me un-amused thus far." A smirk came over his features. "After lunch, perhaps you will be up for a bit more magic?" The gleam of excitement over his emerald eyes was completely visible to her. She knew he did not mean more sparring. Loki meant more mortal-involved activities. For some strange reason, this made Nyx's anticipation raise.

"Let's worry about lunch first, then." She nodded a bit, unable to hide her own grin from surfacing as she stepped out of his path, and they ambled back down the street, towards one of the many street vendors. Apparently he was more eager than she thought, considering he was about to eat the greasy, horribly unhealthy food he had earlier deemed garbage.

"Just two please." Nyx said to the man in as polite a voice as she could muster. Maybe Loki would follow her example if she kept up the being-nice-to-mortals act. She had to admit it wasn't easy herself since learning she wasn't even one of them. She had suddenly had the feeling she was above them, which in fact, was quite true.

"Four dollars, Miss." The man behind the little iron stand smiled and held out the two foil-wrapped meals. Loki paid quickly, stifling another death glare as he did so, and they headed off and to a nearby bench to sit. She would have otherwise wondered where he had gotten the money, but remembered who she was thinking about, and ceased the thought.

"He smelled foul." Loki commented, taking a seat on the bench next to where Nyx was reclined.

"Shush and eat." She said, taking a bite into the hot dog after giving him one last look. Loki shot a disdainful glance back at her, and she huffed. "I don't see what is so horrible about mortals." She paused, biting her lip for a few moments before continuing. "I was thought to be one once too."

"You are not one, though. They are weak, and.. boring." She sneered at his words, unable to hold back a laugh when he scrunched up his nose after his first bite of the food. In a way, it was comical when he made it go up in flames right in his palm. She couldn't help but notice how lucky no one was currently paying attention to them, or there would be some explaining to do. Nyx made a point to finish her lunch quickly, afraid he might do the same to hers.

"I have a question for you, Lady Nyx. Do you mind?" He looked genuinely troubled when he turned to her. Worry sprouted in the pit of her mind, and she bit her lip absently, unsure of what could bring him such discomfort.

"I'm listening." Loki nodded at her answer, racking his own mind for the right words. If the question didn't come out properly, she would react oddly. It was harder than he should have to come up with the right words.

"I'm not sure.." He let out a single breathless laugh. Loki, Silvertongue, at a loss for words. "Nyx, how far would you go with me?" He looked to her just then, face clear of any expression. She discarded the wrappings from the lunch, and returned his stare.

"How far?" She pondered this in her mind, not certain of what he meant. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by that." She lied through her teeth at this. She knew he would catch on to her attempt at avoiding the truth, and mentally braced herself for what he would have to say.

"Yes, My lady, you do." Loki wanted to see how far she would hold out before Nyx herself would admit to the liking she had taken to him. He was only testing how strong that liking had become. It hurt him to deceive her, but he know he would go no further with her unless he was sure she was indeed loyal to him. The word felt degrading even in his thoughts. Loki knew he would never think of the girl in front of him as a sort of.. lower individual, but it was all he could come up with that described what he was thinking.

"I guess I have to be honest, then?" She smiled sheepishly, only pressing him further towards anger at himself. He should not have been angry for tricking her, testing her without her knowing, but he was. It was something entirely new to him. To feel bad for deceiving another was completely foreign to him, considering he had actually gained the nickname 'The Trickster'.

She turned her head a bit to the side, avoiding his gaze to her best efforts. The fact that she was nervous as well eased him a bit. "Loki, I would go extremely far with you." She finally stated, clearly not willing enough to go further in depth. It was good enough for him.

"That's good to hear." He forced a grin, which was not hard, seeing as the expression came very easily to him. "Considering we're about to go cause a bit of.. chaos, I hope extremely is quite far." She grinned back this time, a sort of wicked thing that would have earlier surprised Loki about how similar they were. He no longer let things about her startle him, since it had been happening so often.

"Promise me something?" Nyx asked as she rose to her feet, following him back towards the crosswalk. He paused only to look at her, eyebrows raised. "Next time you kiss me, please don't treat me like I'm _fragile_."

"To me, you are. You have my word though." He dipped his head slightly, a simper causing the edges of his lips to tug upwards. She was growing on him terrifyingly fast, and he made a mental note to deter from doing anything that would only fuel on the sudden sentiment he felt towards her.

They crossed the street along with another mob of people, Loki guiding Nyx down a seemingly deserted side road, bordered with multiple alleys similar to the one he had found her in the night she had been injured.

"Any chance you're going to tell me what we're doing?" She asked him as they began into one of the alleys, one with a fire escape on both grey-brick buildings.

"You will see." He responded, beginning up the metal grated staircase of one of them. Nyx followed closely behind, practically tip-toeing on the creaking surface. "No worries Lady Nyx. These will not fall." He reassured her, using a bit of his own teleportation magic to move quicker, standing on the last landing as she continued working her way up manually.

"You aren't the one who got impaled by a metal rod." She shouted upwards, jumping the steps at a fluid pace, just a few more levels away from reaching the roof where Loki was stationed. His eyes were trained on her, finding amusement in watching her literally skip several steps with every leap.

By the time she reached him, her breathing was slightly laboured. Loki gave her a quick glance and stepped up onto the roof, gesturing for her to follow. She obliged, happy to step up off the metal and onto the concrete. Something about having ground below her feet that did not groan with every step was comforting.

It was only when his foot was nearly half off the edge that she gave him a quizzical look.

"For now, we wait until nightfall." His eyes were gleaming, folding his arms across his chest with a smug look. When she opened her mouth to ask once again what they would be doing, he countered her words with his own.

"I'd prefer to keep this night's actions a _secret_ until the time that nightfall does come. Surprises are always entertaining."

He smirked.

**I'm sorry this chapter didn't involve much, but I've got plans for the next one. It should be done in the next few days or so. No worries, I promise I won't disappoint you! **

**I'm loving the reviews. Really. Thank-you so much. (:**


	15. The Night's Events

**I apologize again for the long wait! It's nearly summer and finals are literally killing all of the time I normally leave open for writing. No worries, though, I tried to keep this chapter slightly different, if not even a bit confusing. Enjoy! (:**

Night came much faster than Nyx had expected.

They had ended up wasting the rest of the day away with Loki trying to teach her how to properly summon a double. It had not been easy, but he had obviously paced the tries throughout the rest of the day in order to keep her strength for the coming night. She had done well enough, but it was clear she was only in the early stages of learning. Compared to his ability to summon multiples of himself at once without so much as losing his breath, she was horrible.

"You are not concentrating enough." He demonstrated once again, an identical appearing in front of her and grinning. She inspected it for any differences, then looked to the real Loki and let out a huff of defeat. "You will get it soon enough, My Lady."

To this, she forced a smile and nodded.

The darkness that had passed over was only growing closer to an inky black, the sky above them clear of all clouds. Streetlights had gone on, and the roar of the city was louder than she even remembered during the day time. Neon signs protruded from shops, and cars whizzed by on the streets below. It would have been a sight to behold from their vantage point, but Nyx still preferred the calmness of a forest over the business of the city.

"Care to tell me what we'll be doing tonight? It's about as dark as it gets." She asked, taking a seat by the edge of the rooftop so that her legs dangled over the edge, allowing her elbows to rest on the railing that rimmed the building.

"Well, there is a reason we have been practicing your conjuration of doubles. You will be, ah, sending them over the edge." He smirked and placed a hand on her shoulder, kneeling next to her close enough so that his voice was barely more than a whisper. "Do not worry though. I have other things planned as well." Nyx visibly pushed him back, lightly enough so that it wasn't a violent movement, but just teasing.

"Would you like to go first?" Loki moved back and away from the edge, eager to begin. He could not wait to see the mortals when the doppelgangers started dropping from the sky. No one would get hurt, but they would be absolutely terrified. Nyx would be happy about the first part, and judging from her reaction the day he had worked on influencing with her, she would enjoy watching their reactions just as much as him.

"It would be my pleasure." She pushed herself upwards with the aid of the railing, still stunned she wasn't the least bit sore from the fight. The speeded healing proved useful, although the cuts still proved how horribly she had lost to him. She even cringed when her hand made contact with the top of the railing, nailing one of the cuts. It was only the leather padding that kept the newly opened gash from spilling blood.

"Just concentrate, let it go, and enjoy the show." He said, taking up the spot beside her, all-too-anxious to see what would go down when it began.

Nyx was able to emit a double from herself with a bit of focus, as the practice during the day had proved quite useful. She did not enough find herself very drained as the doppelganger walked it's way through the railing and off the edge. Overcome with excitement, she held on to the bit of concentration and stepped up to peer over the ledge at the falling figure. Below, the faces of horrified mortals dotted the crowd here and there. She thought she even heard a few curse words and screams. Next to her, the edges of Loki's lips played up in a smile.

"Marvelous job, My Lady." He nodded curtly, viridian optics gleaming with excitement. Clearly, he was looking forward to the later plans just as well as the current events.

"Your turn." Nyx said this with a grin as she turned towards him and away from the commotion that was happening on the ground below. They both looked overly satisfied by the sound of sirens in the distance.

"Mhm.." He quickly summoned about three of himself, all identical, all wearing a toothy smile. It would have been frightening otherwise, but there was something amazing to her as he did so with such ease, not even missing a breath let alone showing any signs of fatigue. This only reinforced the idea that Nyx could do with loads of work on her own magic. Possibly if they ever did find out what she was, they would also find out what else she was capable of aside from magic.

"You're thinking again. What bothers you, Lady Nyx? I thought you might enjoy yourself." He looked at her, genuinely troubled by her blank expression. She was clearly deep in thought.

"I am, really Loki, I am.. You know what it's like, to not be what you've believed you are your entire life. Do you think David knew what I was?" The idea of it struck her forcefully, and it seemed to have the same effect on Loki. "He might know.. What I am.." Nyx turned to him with such an expression of shock, her jaw had all but locked up in it's gaping state. It was only then that she realized how calm he looked.

"You knew.. You thought about this before." She said accusingly, suddenly angered by his blank features. He actually looked sincerely sorry when she continued. "Why didn't you tell me?" How the night had gone to them enjoying themselves to Nyx being angry at Loki so fast was lost to her. He had known that David might know what she was, but had neglected to tell her. Whether it was for her own sake or not, she could not help but feel frustrated by this.

"Nyx, I only kept it from you for your own sake." He said pointedly, gnawing on his lip as he racked his mind for the proper words. He had sworn to himself that he would not hurt her, that he would try to ease her pain as best as he could. "David is a horrible man. I did not want to bring him up, especially since it would only tempt you to speak to him." She snarled in response to his words, fists clenched into tight balls.

"David may be the reason for my pain, but if he knows what I am, that is _my_ business. Not yours, Loki._ Mine_." Nyx was speaking through clenched teeth, very nearly drawing her weapon and attacking him. It was only common sense that stopped her from doing so.

"What is your business _is _mine now. Your concerns are _my_ concerns." He retorted, clearly exasperated. "You do not understand. I will not watch you go through the same betrayal as I, you are under my protection now." His voice was no less than an angered growl, normally calm alluring viridian gaze set in a sharp glare. "You have no choice in this matter."

Nyx looked to him, furious, nearly trembling with the sudden emotions conflicting within her mind. She had nearly trusted him, something that was very rare, and he had been hiding things from her. Even worse, the things he had been hiding were about Nyx herself. Everyone had secrets, but she was truly exhausted of being kept in the dark.

"What happened to 'Always a choice'?" She snapped, biting back the overwhelming urge to just leave as she had before. It would do her no good in the situation, as she knew Loki would not simply let her walk away as he previously did.

He seemed to pause at this, as if gathering the proper quip to hit her back with. "I made a promise to myself.." His brows furrowed, connecting into a frown as he continued. "That I would allow no one to hurt you. That you would not go through my pain and suffering. I intend to keep that promise." Expression of anger having fallen, Loki swept back to where the crowd below was still panicking, the sirens having neared considerably so that he could see the flashes of red and blue in the distance.

"I want to speak to him." Nyx did not move from her position, instead only waving off the anger that had materialized so suddenly. "Please, Loki. Allow me this. You could finally find out what I am." She chewed on the inside of her cheek, taking in deep, slow breaths. A sort of calm indifference had settled across her features. "I know it's been bothering you."

"Lady Nyx.. He would not willingly give up that information. I know very well that you despise him, but I will not sacrifice your conscience for the knowledge I seek." Still leaning over the edge of the rooftop, supported by his elbows, Nyx could hear the shouts below. She assumed their training session was over.

"My conscience will only be clean when I kill him." She even subtly surprised herself with these words. It was obvious from how his head snapped back towards her that he was even more shocked.

"You truly believe that is how you will clear yourself of guilt?" To keep herself from responding with some form of a snappy quip, she nodded.

"I will not allow it." He announced after a few moments worth of silence, and allowing his mind to wonder if the words she spoke were true, or only fueled by vengeance. "You will be hurt either way. We must find another way to figure you out without David."

"Loki, you have no idea what this means to me." She retorted, watching him through narrowed eyes. It was audible enough from her tone that she was on the edge of losing her temper, and so Loki decided to stay on his guard.

"Do I? You have heard my story." It was his turn to become frustrated. "If this means so very much to you, I will find David myself and force the information out of him."

"So I'll be left behind like a child who needs protection against the big bad world?" She was becoming extremely irritated with his distrust in her. Was she really so vulnerable that he felt the need to protect her so fully?

Loki watched her for a few moments, his stare icy and calculating. "I have never cared for someone as I do for you." It was quick, how his fury fell into some darkened form of sorrow. Nyx seemed to notice this, and her expression softened faintly. "I am not about to make a wrong move and lose you." He almost felt compelled to add on some part of how she was all he had left, which was indeed true, but was able to restrain himself by letting out a huff.

"What will make you change your mind?" Nyx asked. She knew she would not be able to sway him at the present time, and he was acting as though she was not able to take care of herself, and this vexed her. "Anything, Loki. I'll train until my brain starts crying and my hair bleeds." She was pleading him now, although the acid in her tone was still quite audible. "I just need to deal with David."

"Lady Nyx, for all we know he has already gone to the authorities after your escape. In order to get to him, we would have to kill. You would have stranger blood on your hands. I only wish to keep you away from those things. Do you remember your reaction the day you first killed?" He paused, but she knew better than to interrupt him. The question was clearly rhetorical judging by the way he looked at her. "I will not let that happen again. I fear you may hate me for good if it does."

"I'll never hate you." She countered, knowing the truth in the words as soon as she uttered them. How could she bring herself to hate the man who had shared so much to her? The one who actually seemed to be guarding her, something David had never been able to. For once, Nyx had actually felt as though she was not completely alone. She knew it would be impossible to simply wave him off after all that had happened throughout the course of the past few days.

He frowned before speaking, dropping his face into the palms of his hands, elbows still stationed on the railing and supporting the weight of his upper body. "Never is a strong word."

"So is hate." She responded almost immediately, having thought up the retort before he had answered.

Loki groaned through the cracks of his fingers, not loud enough to disturb the commotion below, but enough so that Nyx almost felt partly bad for pushing him to the point where he actually seemed tired. Almost.

"Why must you be so difficult when I only care for your wellbeing?" Nyx stepped up beside him, still trying to her best efforts not to bring up the topic of the argument once again.

"You don't know the first thing about caring for someone." He turned towards her then, raising his head just enough so that his suddenly alluring viridian gaze was set on her.

"You are right. I do not. That does not mean I do not know the first thing about loving someone, though." He moved towards her slowly, as if waiting for her to retract, to stop him before her could approach her further. Nyx was only relieved of the choice of either accepting his movement or stopping him when his lips were once again on hers.

This time, the kiss was not so much of a sweet thing as Loki kept his exploration of her mouth much more thorough than before, almost causing her to break out into a fit of grins and laughter. It was only when his arms curved around her back, dragging her against the leather and fabric of his mortal garments that she retaliated, bringing her hands up between them with a light amount of pressure.

"Loki." Her tone was stern, almost a warning which he simply pushed away with a good-natured chuckle.

"Oh please, tell me you are not enjoying my protection." He murmured, his breath hot against the bridge of her nose and cheeks. She felt her skin flush with colour.

"Right. You're my guardian angel." She teased, entwining her fingers in the lower regions of his raven hair.

"Do you know how to dance, My lady?" He looked down upon her own pale greens with an expression clear of emotion, the only thing hinting he was not so angered with her from moments ago being the newly formed gleam in his eyes.

"Part of your planned events for the night?" Allowing her elbows to rest in the crook between his lower and upper arm, she smiled back up at him, a genuine thing wiped of the irritation from earlier. David would have to wait.

"Possibly." Pulling her in for another kiss, Loki was slightly more forceful this time, his grip tightening on her shoulder blades, but not yet enough to cause her any discomfort. She clenched his hair tighter, as if making up for his firm grasp.

It didn't last long, seeing as they could both very well make out the sounds of footsteps beneath them; Police finally finding the sense to come up to the rooftop and find the source of the falling doppelgangers.

"Shall we go elsewhere?" He asked beneath his breath, taking a few steps backwards with her in tow in order to conceal them from the entrance with the aid of a few jutting cement structures.

"To the forest. To train." She grinned, her nose crinkling at the movement against his. She could feel his chest flinch as a short-lived laugh erupted from his chest, followed by a nod.

"So eager to be beaten by me again?" Nyx gave him a friendly shove as he said the words.

"Take us to the forest, if you're so sure."

**I guess it was about time to start up the romance side of things, so tell me what you think! More of this kind of stuff, or less? Love you doods. (:**

**Expect a chapter some time this weekend, if not early next week. Again, really sorry about the delay! Anyone who has stuck with me, or any of the newcomers, you're amazing.**


	16. Appearance

**I deeply apologize for the long wait. I know, I'm a horrible procrastinator, but sadly, school must come before Loki (WHAT BLASPHEMY). Enjoy the chapter! It may seem a bit short, but it's got a few good things about it, or I hope so.  
Thank-you for sticking with me. You're all wonderful people. (:**

The clearing was abnormally quiet, although that may have been due to the fact that they had very effectively rid the wildlife of the area of their homes. Although Nyx had been the one to previously conjure the flames, she blamed Loki for the outcome.

"Are you ready?"

He stood a good distance away from her, donning a look of amusement as Nyx fumbled with the leather straps of her gauntlets, having somehow undone them earlier without noticing. Again, he looked about as neat and calm as ever, while she fell extremely short on the meter of elegance and up on the scale of disarray.

"You're not very patient." She began tugging on a loose plate, working hard to put it back in it's place. Loki seemed to finally notice her struggle, and strode over. She stood, flustered and partially embarrassed with her incapability to fix up the very sparse amounts of armour he had provided her with.

"Allow me." Making quick work of the remaining faults in the protection, he inspected each and every piece until satisfied. Nyx rose her eyebrows at this, but didn't comment. "I'm going to need to teach you how to properly wear your armour." He mused, whilst returning to his position opposite of her, stepping over the scattered foliage from the previous little trick he had taught her with fire.

"I'm not exactly used to wearing armour under my clothes regularly." Her mouth twitched a bit, on the verge of presenting a smile, and he rolled his eyes as if what she had just said was not the common opinion on Earth. Although shrouded in darkness, the moon only shedding slivers of light upon the two, she could make out the good-natured smirk that followed.

"Try to avoid getting fatally injured." Loki stated mockingly.

Just moments later, she could make the distinct shape of two blades, slicing cleanly through the still air, gleaming in the sparse light as they made their way towards her.

"I could say the same to you." She answered sharply upon diving out of the path of his attack, pulling out her own knife and advancing, using the scattered fallen logs for cover every so often. He seemed to notice her trying to near him, and synchronized his movements with hers, moving backwards when she moved forwards, and vise versa.

It was only after a few minutes of cat-and-uncatchable-mouse that Nyx grew frustrated with his game. He wouldn't allow her anywhere close to him, and she was beginning to grow tired of constantly dislodging his daggers from around her and throwing them back at him. She didn't have his uncanny aim, and they always whizzed by him several feet away from target. "Coward."

"Child." He chimed in mock retort, moving further away from her. No matter the progress she made towards him, Nyx could never grow close enough to reach him with her blade. He was taunting her, playing a game both for amusement, and somewhat of another test. He wanted to see if she were clever enough to adapt to the situation, and use magic.

"Infant." Grinning, although slightly vexed by his current fighting style, she deflected one of the oncoming blades with the aid of the metal surface of her elbow plate.

"That is not the proper use of armour." He called out from somewhere across the clearing, although his voice was not stern but joking. The smile he gave her, although hard to catch from the distance between them, very nearly made her drop her guard. Nearly.

"Why don't you come fight me up close then?" Exasperated, she straightened up from where she was crouched, hands on hips in a no-nonsense manner. Nyx was the only one who would give him that sort of look and not have a second thought about it.

"Oh, you want to spar up close, do you?" His voice was inches from her ear, silken and riddled with the telltale tone of mischief.

Turning to face where he stood would have been useless, as, of course, he had already disappeared from the spot and to a place a few feet in front of her. "I thought that much was obvious."

Drawing out a knife identical to hers, he held it up between them at the ready, giving a curt bow before advancing on her without further notice.

It was all Nyx could do to fend of his strikes, unexpected as they were, and with the constant use of teleportation magic, he was nearly impossible to so much as bruise. She found this form of combat no simpler than the ranged one just minutes ago.

"Use your own skills. You know full well I will not let up unless I see that you have given your best effort." As if reading her thoughts, he spoke referring to her magic as 'skills'. She saw it as a very tiring, nearly useless asset in the face of him. He could put her to shame with a faint flick of his wrist, yet it took her moments of concentration to conjure up a doppelganger. And he wished to see her try, and risk the embarrassment?

Too distracted to answer, she deflected another of his strokes, only to bring the blade up again to defend a stab that would have very clearly rid her of her capability to use her left ear. She gave him a look of protest, which was quickly waved off as he brought the blade horrifying close to her head yet _again_.

"I may have missed it.. But did you ever mention something about wanting to kill me? I mean, that one was a bit close, don't you think?" The adrenaline had all but dispersed, instead, fatigue had sunk it's claws deep within the depths of her mind, dark spots dancing across her vision every now and then no thanks to this. Being impaired by tiredness while fighting a God was never on her list of hobbies, and would never even come so close.

Loki seemed to notice her unusually un-elegant movements, shy of the natural grace she had earlier proven, and finally pulled back from his relentless attacks. Nyx did her best to stifle a sigh of relief. "You are not at full strength."

"Is it that clear?" She answered dryly, wiping her forehead on the back of her hand, where a thin sheen of sweat had surfaced.

He smiled, then sheathed his knife and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Crystal."

Returning the expression with a sheepish grin, she stepped a fraction closer to him, her muscles crying in protest even at the slight movement. Nyx was athletic in figure, but both the magic and their sparring had taken a toll on her body, mind, and overall characteristics.

"What's next on your master plan? Please tell me it doesn't involve.. I don't know, moving?" She allowed a weak chuckle past her lips, earning a smirk from him. She rolled her eyes and added "I'm not joking."

"Of course you are." Drawing her closer to him so their chests were flush against each other, he presented her with a sly smile. "How about I give you two choices, and you decide what we do?"

"I'm guessing sleep isn't involved?" Her nose was just brushing the tip of his chin when she looked up to him, a hopeful look present. He laughed, his torso thrumming against hers at the movement.

"You guessed right." That was when the roar of an aircraft overhead, which had earlier been distant, flooded the clearing.

Nyx looked to him, alarmed and stunned, although she was inwardly already thinking escape routes and such. Being around him had brought up a part of her instinct, possibly a more aware, fighter's one that she had earlier left untouched. It had become a sort of habit to survey everything around her, taste the air, the atmosphere. She had adopted that from him, and it definitely proved useful in situations as such.

It was all he could do to gather her beneath his arm and guide the two into the more thick part of the brush. She berated him with her fists in protest, demanding to be let go, but Loki would have none of it, and forced her down into a crouch behind a cluster of trees.

"Do. Not. Move." He cautioned, edging out around one of the more thick of the bunch and looking towards where the craft seemed to be dropping people on the ground. They descended from several rope ladders, around fifteen or so in all, each and every one of them armed to the teeth with an assortment of guns.

"They're looking for me." Nyx commented from beside him, although how she had somehow gotten up and over to him without his knowing was unknown to him.

"I thought I very clearly told you not to move." He spoke, his voice low as he contemplated what to do. They could teleport back to the city, but something told him Nyx would not approve of this idea. She had proven to be very curious thus far, dangerously so, and he knew she would have none of it even if he chased her.

"I thought I had a mind of my own." She countered, eyeing the people who were now sweeping the area, although they all donned black gear and so it was hard to keep track of where they all were. Her paranoia grew worse as she wondered why such a team would be sent out after a girl like her. Unless they weren't looking for her, in which case there was only one other in her presence that they could be in search of. She shook this thought from her mind, frustrated she was over thinking the situation as she had developed a bad habit of.

"We need to leave. Now." His tone was sharp, and she almost obliged to his command. She thought it over for a few seconds, then shook her head."

"No. I want to see what they do. If they _are_ looking for me, it's my business."

"I believe we have already had this conversation. Your business is mine now." He reached for her arm in order to get them away, but she drew back as quickly as he had moved. It surprised him partially, but he soon recalled how quickly she seemed to be picking things up, and only decided her reflexes were growing sharper from being around him. Perhaps that was an ability of her race, being able to learn quickly. It was an odd thing, but useful none the less.

"Touch me and I scream." Alright. So she knew how to get him to back off. "Let's get one of them. It should be easy, and I'd like to know why these people are so heavily armed, if they are searching for me after all. They might know something." Loki had to admit, even if he would not dare to say so much out loud, she had a very valid point. The idea of interrogating one of the men was intriguing.

"Allow me. You are tired, just as you said before, and it will be much easier if I do it." As he said these words, Nyx had to admit, even if they were true, they still offended her in some way. Had she been going through his 'training' just to never get the chance to put her abilities to the test?

"I don't remember saying that." She whispered, turning to him with a newly donned grin before disappearing in the foliage and beginning on her way towards the group. It was all he could do not to shout obscene curses and such at her, even if Loki himself knew he would have done just the same thing if their positions had been reversed. Again, it frightened him how similar she was becoming to him.

Concealed by the billowing bushes and towering trunks, Nyx edged forwards, her gaze staying trained on the group. They were constricted, precise, if one shied too far away from the others, they would be brought back by a few commands by one of the taller ones, who seemed to be the leader. She couldn't make out any of their words just yet from the distance, but it was a prediction.

They were careful, and she could not seem to pick out a lone target as easily as she had previously thought it to be. Perhaps it was not so much that they were afraid, but only hesitant, cautious.

Loki neared her, plotting how he would scold her for her actions, gritting his teeth and still pondering whether he would teleport them to the city or not when he reached her. He desperately craved the chance to test out his interrogation skills on one of the mortal men. Just the mere idea sent waves of anticipation up his spine, his magic swelling and begging to be released.

"Spread out that way! Stick in groups of three and hit 'em with the tranqs if you see 'em." Shouted one of the men; the leader. He gestured over to an area just off to the side from where Nyx was making her way too. She edged away towards that area, sticking to the constant clumps of trees and bushes alike. She knew what tranqs were, and Loki would not be pleased if he had to sweep in and rescue her when she was lying on the ground unconscious. "And don't hesitate!" He called out to the group who had branched off, and were heading towards where she crouched in wait.

"Damn." Loki growled beneath his breath, as he was a fair distance away from the portion of forest around the clearing where Nyx had made her way to. She was on her own with the men until he got to her, as teleporting was too risky. If he appeared in the wrong spot, the men would see him and raise alarm. It wasn't that he could not fight them, but Nyx would jump in and try to help, and he was not sure he trusted her in combat just yet.

The men were out of his sight and in the trees by then.

Dropping down to her stomach into a prone position, she crawled forwards on her elbows to make her way beneath a nearby bush, shrouding herself in a cloak of twigs and leaves. The footsteps of the men were inevitably close, and she thought she saw the boot of one of them just next to where she was situated. She almost reached out and grabbed the ankle, if only to pull him beneath the foliage, where she would render him unconscious with the use of a very complicated sleeping spell Loki had showed her earlier in the day. Almost did. It was much too risky, and instinct told her that right away.

"Any sight of them?" So they were looking for more than one. Had they seen her with Loki earlier? "No sir. Just trees."

The voice. _That _voice. She recognized the first one to speak nearly right away. The one that had been called sir. It was a voice, more gravelly than she remembered, but him none the less. _Him_. The next word came out beneath her breath, a snarl, even if it was quiet, broke through as well. "David."

Before Nyx could stop herself, she was scrambling out from beneath the bush and sprinting towards him, aiming to tackle, not minding her blade.

The tingling started, and all hell broke loose.

**Voila! I know, I know, damn cliffhangers. No worries though, I'll do my best to get another chapter out within a week or so. Remember, reviews from the readers are an author's best friend. :D**


	17. Disbelief and Betrayal

**Holy Mother of Odin, I feel horrible for making you wonderful people wait for so long! Hopefully you can forgive me, and I will try to return the kindness with another chapter **_**within**_** this week. If you've stuck with me this long way, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.. Three times. Yes. This is the third version of this chapter. Third time's the charm, right? (:**

Loki stood in the trees, partially crouched, shrouded in darkness as the moon's light nor the light of the Midgardian devices could reach him where he was situated. Nyx, on the other hand, was rather exposed, but effectively using David's body as some form of human shield, her knife drawn and pressed against the thin flesh of his throat. The shooting stopped all of the sudden.

"You all know I'll kill him." She called out, tone dotted with malice and promise. Every one of the men took a cautious step backwards. "Drop the weapons." In her arms, David was already quite unconscious, several darts from the weapons of his own men jutting out from gaps in his armour. "_Drop_ them." This time, the men complied. Apparently David was more important than Loki had previously thought him to be.

He could see the fury in her eyes, her trembling muscles, itching to use the magic that was begging to be set free. But she knew better. The outcome would be unexpected, and Nyx did not want to kill David just yet. She would eventually come to it, he knew, but for the moment Nyx wanted to have her fun.

"Who are you and why are you here?" She spoke through clenched teeth, obviously not comfortable with talking to such big, rather intimidating crowds.

"We're here for you." One of the men said, earning the looks of a few of his teammates. From the sound of his voice, Loki could tell he was just above his youth, clearly frightened. Perhaps they had not thought Nyx such a large threat, if they had taken to sending a trainee into the field.

"Why would there be such a big team assembled to take down one person? One young girl, for that matter." Tightening her grip on David's neck, Loki saw a thin line of scarlet trail down the pale flesh. "The more time you take, the bigger risk David loses his life." A few of the men stared at her, shocked. Even Loki was partially stunned by this. Just short days ago she had been furious him for having her kill a few civilians, and now she was threatening with another man's life? Was it him that had brought on this sudden change in her innocence?

_Nyx, please drop David and come to me. You do not need to be twisted up with these people. They will only hurt you. _That silky voice in her mind, the tone calm but warning nonetheless. Did Loki think she would step away? _Ha! _She wanted answers.

The group of men seemed to be contemplating whether their leader's life was worth risking the information. _Of course it is,_ Loki thought, angered that they were so foolishly throwing away the other man's life. Being a prince, he himself had endured years upon years of training, and one of the first rules had been, and would always be 'Nothing comes before those who you fight alongside to.' He distinctly remembered the lead trainer scolding Thor constantly for getting caught up in the heat of things, and forgetting those around him. That was partly the reason this rule had been set in his mind, because the memory involved Thor, something he would never forget.

Just then, the youthful man spoke up again. "We were sent here after your stunts in the city. With the cars.. And sending people off a building. Our organization, the people we work for, said you were important and shouldn't be harmed." He added the last part rather hastily, in a pitiful attempt at softening her. By doing so, he was only pouring salt on the wounds. Nyx snarled aloud.

"What do you know of my 'stunts'?"

"David wouldn't tell us anything else other than we had to retrieve you. He only said you were.. Uncommon. That we would not get this chance again." So David had gathered a team to find her? Judging by the man's words, none of them knew of her.. Abilities, other than the man in her grasp. So he had known. David had _known_. And he had not told _her_. Something akin to a mixture of disbelief and despair replaced her anger, followed by an even deeper sense of betrayal. This was what Loki had been talking about.

He felt her aura shift as soon as the realization hit her. He almost confused her emotions with his own, as they were what he could define his as the majority of the time. It killed him to remain in the shadows. Nyx needed comfort, just as he had, but he could not reveal himself just yet. If the men knew of what they had done in the city, they must have known the young girl could not have taken such actions on her own.

"Leave now." There was some hidden meaning there, and it looked as though a few of the men had interpreted it as 'Leave now or I kill all of you', for they backed off almost immediately, with the slightest hesitation. To Loki, it was _disgusting. _They would so quickly leave their leader behind with the enemy?_ Pathetic_. He felt compelled to step out from his cover and openly yell at them for being such imbeciles. Simpletons, all of them! These few mortals turned out to fit nearly every stereotype he had earlier heard, even if their actions were fueled by fear of death. Were they so selfish that they would just simply comply with her commands?

"Not until you return David to our possession." Finally, a man who did not fit into his low expectations of the Midgardian race.

When Loki turned back to glance at Nyx, he saw tears. Many of them, glimmering in her pale emerald eyes and illuminated by the silver of the moon. That was as much as he could take, and the God stepped out from his acquired hiding place, angered beyond that of reason. This was exactly what he had hoped would not happen. How had he been so foolish? He should have intervened earlier, and possibly avoided Nyx's obvious pain.

"I believe the girl asked you to leave, gentlemen. It would be wise to listen. If you value your lives of course." Turning to glare at them, training his gaze on the defiant one alone, he conjured up one of his own specialty knives; one assembled entirely from magic. It glowed faintly, emitting a soft blue hue on his alabaster skin. Each and every one of them glanced at the man who had spoken with quizzical looks. "You have three seconds."

Each and every one of them hesitated, but most left back towards the clearing nonetheless. Only two remained, immediately gravitating towards each other with weapons raised.

"We're not leaving without him." One said, his voice audibly quivering with open fear. Loki smirked.

"While I admire your heart, I do not think you and your partner have death wishes." He said coolly, awaiting the inevitable time when he would have to take action. Across from him, Nyx bit her lip, letting David's body fall slack at her feet. Perhaps that time would come closer than he had assumed, and Loki most definitely wanted to take the opportunity to let out his anger. The two men before them were perfectly good practice dummies.

Even if it was a whisper, the God could easily make out what one was saying to the other. "Come on, Williams, we need to leave. This guy.. He's weird, not right. Same with her." He said, dipping his head in their direction as he spoke.

The liesmith grew impatient. _Nyx, you may not want to see this. _He spoke out in his mind towards her, earning a rather confused glance in return. Still, he nodded in discreet warning, and turned back to the men.

"It's a shame you could not have left with the rest of your team." Shaking his head, he stepped over to where they both stood, pausing just inches ahead of the two. Loki noticed one of them was the youth from before. "You Midgardians are so puzzling."

While his left hand stay slack at his side, the other that gripped the dagger tensed on the handle of the weapon as he drew it forwards, burying it in the chest of the younger man while the figure next to him staggered backwards in abrupt surprise.

Releasing his grip on the hilt, the blade disappeared completely, leaving only the open wound in the young man's chest. Loki turned to face the other, relishing the moment of finally getting the chance to relieve himself of the burden of fury. How much had he needed the opportunity to rid himself of that anger? It felt more satisfying than he could have hoped for, killing the Midgardian.

"You killed him!" The man exclaimed, bringing up the weapon and firing mercilessly at the God. Every single dart clattered off uselessly, not coming close to bruising him much less piercing the layer of both his armour and flesh. "What the hell.."

Grinning, Loki materialized behind the man, bringing up his hand where a deathly sharp blade made fully of viridian-tinted metal had appeared. Nyx looked on in absolute fear as Loki slit the throat of the man, his eyes following the form of him as he fell, some type of disdain filling his emerald optics. The God had read the thoughts of the man just before he had killed him, and he was infuriated.

"Lady Nyx?" He asked rather softly, considering his irrational state of mind, looking up from where he stood to meet the eyes of his accomplice. Where she once stood meters away, Loki caught sight of the rich green fabric, disappearing into the hold of the thicker forest. "Damn." Growling to himself, the trickster sprinted from his place, bypassing the unconscious body of David and following her trail. He decided almost immediately it would be unwise to simply teleport to her, assuming it would only serve to frighten her further, and gave chase instead.

She made no point to remain silent, even though her senses felt suddenly acute, giving her that moment of awareness she needed to avoid running face first into trees.

"Nyx!" He called out again, his speed picking up as he shifted to the lighter version of his armour. She was faster than he had earlier predicted, but the stamina of a God beat out that of whatever she was by far. He was catching up, training his gaze on the obvious ivory of her hair, using it as something to follow in the dark of the forest.

It was only when she slowed down, dropping to the forest floor and hugging her knees to her chest, using a tree to support her back, that something inside of him softened. Was this the bold girl he had met days ago? The one who had just used her old father as a human shield just moments ago, broken and crying? Not even Loki had been so full of despair that he had been reduced to that. It was most likely that he was much stronger than her mentally, but he waved these thoughts aside. She was in obvious shock. Considering all that had just taken place; learning how David had always known she was not human, and lied to her, seeing Loki kill two men in cold blood, it was more than enough to throw anyone in their right mind over the edge.

No words needed to be said. There were no words to be said to ease any of the tension. Instead, he took a place on the ground beside her, and did the unthinkable; The God of Mischief wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her tightly. Nyx did not return the embrace, but instead continued to tremble to no end.

"He knew.. David might know.." She whispered after what felt like hours, but was mere minutes, Loki having begun a faint rocking rhythm in a pitiful attempt at both calming and comforting her. He had not been so lucky when he had been told the truth, and so he was only trying to give her what he had not gotten. "And you.." She looked up at him through glassy eyes, chalk-coloured hair falling over her eyes in strands. He brushed them back absently with his fingertips, skin abnormally cold against her warm cheek. His thumb made it's way to her lips, where he applied light pressure in order to quiet her.

"Yes, My Lady. He will most likely have an idea what you are, and we will find out." Voice like satin, slender fingers chilled where her skin had surfaced a thin sheen of sweat, she managed a sheepish smile.

"We will? I thought you didn't want me near him." Her voice was hoarse, very much so. It was the inevitable, considering how harshly she had been sobbing. It was embarrassing, to say the least.

"I believe it is a bit late to be listening to me now, don't you think?" It was a told you so moment, but he would not go so far as to say the line out loud. However tempting it was, her mood could not be in a worse state given the events. How easier it would have been if she was just a simple mortal. He most likely would have killed her by then, and all of the problems could have been avoided. The liesmith mentally scolded himself for thinking such horrid thoughts. "I am deeply sorry you had to witness that. If only you knew what those men were thinking."

"What were they thinking?" Curious, as always.

Loki sighed. Of course she would ask that. "I understand you are disgusted with my actions against the younger one."

"By killing him." She added in a much smaller voice, obviously biting back on her lips to keep her voice from shaking.

"Yes. By killing him. He wished only for your and my demise though, Darling. I saw it in his thoughts. Innocence is a tricky physical appearance, but why do you think he was recruited in the first place? Because he is violent, and brutal. That is what some think warriors are made of, and they are wrong. He had to be put down before he could deal harm to you."

"And.. The other one?" She asked, still in the hollow voice, her throat hinting at being quite raspy.

Loki studied her for a moment before answering, unsure if she was currently capable of hearing what the other man had thought. Of course she was, the God was just overly cautious when it came to those whom he kept close to him. "Are you sure, My Lady? What is done is in the past. You do not have to hear this."

"I guess I should listen to you this time.. Just forget about it." She said, followed by a soft laugh, breathless no thanks to the events and her newly tired state. It would be so much easier if she could just sleep, and rid her mind of any cares that plagued her.

"Perhaps that is a wise choice." He nodded, relieved he would not have to recall what the man had thought, as it even bothered him by the slightest. "I apologize, once again, but I must go retrieve David's body before he wakes. I would not think you would like to stay here alone while I go?"

"Right.. David." Doing her best to force a smile, she returned the embrace with a light squeeze before drawing back. "Shall we?"

Loki planted a quick kiss on the space just between her brows, looking down at her with a certain gleam in his eyes. The God's touch and light mood was Nyx's only solace for that point in time.

"We shall."

**I know it isn't the best cliffhanger, but I decided to let it off a bit easy this time. I know the last one was pretty harsh, and I felt evil making you people wait like that.**

**Anyways, I will now proceed to shamelessly beg for your reviews, because I love them so freaking much. I cannot even explain the joy I feel when reading them. Compliments or suggestions, they make me all giddy. So; review, you lovely people! I'll try my best to have another chapter up within a reasonable amount of time.**


	18. Sing For Me

**Well, I see other authors do this all the time, where they respond to the people who have reviewed their stories.. So here we go: **

**RemiJVantalaimon: You're too sweet! I've already been thinking about how I can tie this in to The Avengers, since I enjoy writing it so much and I'd love to continue with it. No worries on that one, I'll try to keep this one going as long as I can without making it seem boring!**

**Purple 'N' Blue Wings: You lovely person, you. I get so giddy whenever I read your reviews. So with as much sincerity as possible; Thank-you. (:**

**The Yoshinator: Your reviews are partly why I try my best to get out these chapters. I've seen you comment on other fanfics, so the fact that you're reading mine makes me extremely happy. It's like, whenever I write a new chapter, I have to think it over and wonder if you'll review this one like you have the others. Weird, I know, but it's encouraging. Thanks!**

**Lokiandfriends: Thank-you so much for the support! I'm glad to know you think this story deserves reviews, as it's one of the first one I've actually gone about publishing. You make me happy, Lokiandfriends. :3**

**Hopefeather: I'm so happy to see that you've enjoyed this thus far! I promise I'll try my best not to disappoint. Thank-you for the congratulations, I'm feeling the appreciation. :D**

**Jen Darknight: I've fallen in love with your lengthy-ish, praising reviews. You were with me from the start, or so I remember, so you have my deepest thanks for sticking along for the ride!**

**happyfig: Awh, thank-you! It's good to hear I've been triggering your inner fan. I try my best. **

**Hymn of the Sea: I hope I captured Nyx in the first chapter to your liking. It's always hard to introduce a new character, and I hope she's satisfactory thus far!**

**Kaia uchiha: So glad to hear to love the story. Honestly, your comment made me all fuzzy inside.**

**Thanks to all who have reviewed, and those who have added this story to their alerts/favourites, or even favourited me as an author. Here's another chapter, I hope it didn't take too long!**

"What will we ever do about your appearance, My Lady?" Loki asked as she ambled along in front of him, arms folded across her torso in an attempt at fending off the chilling night air. Nyx had already turned down his offering at conjuring her up more clothing, a blanket, or even a simple heating spell. Clearly she did not want anything to do with him, or anyone for that matter, at the present time, and he couldn't blame her.

She took a few moments before answering, most likely considering his question in all it's abnormality. Why would he care for her looks at such a time? "I don't see what you mean."

"If anyone recognizes you, they will most likely alert the authorities, and we will have even more men such as the ones before to deal with. I do not think you want that."

"Makes sense I guess. But how do you know anyone will be looking for me? It could just be David's organization in particular." She said in return, exchanging a quick glance with him over her shoulder, eyes still slightly glassy from the tears just minutes ago. He almost felt urged enough to rejoin in her up ahead, but instead stayed in step behind her, not wanting to provoke a negative reaction from her already fragile state of mind. Nyx was strong, but not enough.

"You do not believe those words yourself." That effectively ended the conversation, and she was slightly grateful. She was in absolutely no mood to speak about David, and Loki knew that very well. In fact, he was not so fond of speaking about the man either. He would much rather kill him, or even interrogate him in his own way, but he would not take the risk of truly pushing Nyx off the edge of sanity. For the time being, her thoughts were already dishelved and scattered. He most definitely could not blame her, seeing as he knew the feeling even more so than her. It felt like someone had just poured acid on half of your life, and enjoyed watching it melt into a puddle of anger. A rather descriptive version of the feeling, but true nonetheless.

"There.. There he is.." She spoke in a small voice, akin to the tiny one she had spoken in earlier. When he tried to comfort her. She cleared her throat, and took a fraction of a step forwards. "Can you tell what he's thinking?"

"No." Loki lied. He had no wishes to read David's thoughts, and even when he gave in to the curiosity and did, it was only endless black. Boring."Perhaps I will have to teach you that specific skill next."

"Right.. More magic." She said with a curt nod, biting her lower lip and leaning over the body of her false father. Loki looked on with that studying gaze of him, intrigued to see how she would react. If it were the God in her position, she may have glared, cursed him out a few times even, but for the time being, Nyx simply stared. "He'll be alright, right?"

"I was under the impression you did not want him to be alright." Loki replied skeptically, absent-mindedly twirling a miniature blade within his hands.

"Well, I can't be a little sympathetic? I hate him. I honestly do, but what are you- _we _going to do to him?"

"We will get the answers we want from him."

"Which are?" Nyx turned to face him, raising her eyebrows as she did. He grinned.

"Your origins, for a start. He may have an idea what you are, or have a connection with who does know that."

"And you think he'll just give up this information?"

"Of course not. But we have the means to get it from him." After watching her for a few moments in silence, she mumbled something and he strode over to where she was situated right next to the body. He was clearly still alive, chest rising faintly. The God was thankful that the men who had come had made the choice not to use life-threatening weapons, or he would have an extremely angered Nyx to deal with. "We should move him deeper into the forest with us so you may get some rest, Lady Fray."

"Call me Nyx." She responded dryly, reaching downwards and taking David by his ankles. "Get the other side?"

"No need." He waved her off with one hand, scooping the figure of the man up from underneath and lifting as though he was weightless. She was relieved, knowing Loki would most definitely not be impressed with her strength. She had a very small build, and was more so built for speed rather than brute force.

"Thanks." She did her best to smile at him, heading off back towards the thicker portion of the brush, holding back any stray branches before they could whip back and nail the God. He would not be happy if he had to go the journey with a face full of leaves. Nyx let out a short laugh at the thought, and Loki turned to her, raising his eyebrows in a confused glimpse. "It's nothing."

They kept walking.

"This should be good, right?" She gestured to the area they had stopped at, which was almost so crowded with trees and bushes alike, she had to stand right beside the God as not to lose him within the greens and dark.

"It will be alright until morning. Get some sleep, tomorrow is an important day." He spoke the last words softly, practically dropping David and shoving him beneath a bush with his boot. Nyx inwardly cheered and part of her wished he would kick harder.

"What? The trickster doesn't need to sleep?" Settling down with her back up against a tree, she frowned and pulled off her sweater, stuffing it beneath her lower back to soften her slumber. Beneath, she had on a simple black short sleeve, thin plates of gold or leather lining her forearms and elbows.

"If the men return, I would prefer to be ready." Loki made a face at her actions, but didn't comment. She would get cold soon enough, and ask for his help. The thought made him extremely smug. He loved how she needed him and his magic. "Get some sleep, and.. Just tell me if you need anything. It's quite cold out." Sneering and rolling her eyes, she made a point to make sure he saw her snuggle with the sweater. Loki chuckled softly in response.

"If I wake up with a blanket, I'm going to kick you were it counts." She mumbled, the edges of her lips playing upwards in a teasing grin.

Loki scoffed and placed a hand on his chest, feigning injury "Do not even jest about such things." Nyx laughed once again before elbowing him in the ribs where he had taken a seat just beside her. "But, no worries. I will not perform magic unless you ask something of me."

"Liar."

"The God of Lies? Lying?" Another elbow in the chest. That time though, he simply reappeared in front of her, proudly wearing that mocking, gorgeous smirk that she could only return by shooting him a momentary look of exasperation. "Alright, alright, get some sleep darling."

"G'night Loki." It had been one of the longest, most interesting days she could remember. The sleep took over almost as soon as she willed it.

Although in an almost unconscious state, she still felt it when the God's chilled lips brushed just over her forehead, lulling her into slumber.

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._

The sun barely made it through the trees, although it was an especially gray morning. A little drizzle fell around them, having trouble getting through the thickness of the surrounding foliage just as well. For this, Loki was thankful, as then he would be forced to summon a blanket for her, and Nyx had specifically told him not to.

"You realize I'm awake, right?" Without knowing it, Loki had been absently running his fingers through her hair, and it was only when she spoke that he paused. Only momentarily though, as he continued with his stroking just seconds later.

"Good morning." He said blankly. Nyx quirked a brow and sat up from where she sad somehow become nestled on Loki's lap, glancing this way and that. It still seemed pretty dark, and the best word to describe the seen was dull. The leaves just didn't seem as green, and trees not as crawling with life as before. "Actually, it is nearly evening."

"You shouldn't have let me sleep that long." She grumbled, propping herself up and rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands in order to rid them of sleep. "Really. You look tired as hell." She spoke again, surveying him with some form of concern. From how he sat, stiff and constantly checking his surroundings, Nyx decided he was agitated.

"I am fine. Gods can go days without sleep."

"Says your bruises." Nyx ran a thumb tentatively across the bags that had formed beneath his eyes, shades of purple and brown, the emerald optics shy of their usual alertness. "Honestly, you look horrible."

"I have looked worse. Stop worrying yourself."

"You've been using magic on and off for nearly three days straight. Go to sleep. If David wakes up, I'll wake you up right away, 'kay?"

"I would not worry about him. I have been checking him for a while now, and it seems he will not be waking up for a few hours. They did not take any chances with you, those weapons were extremely strong."

"All the more reason to sleep."

"Lady Nyx, I do not require re-"

"Shut up and close your eyes." She gave him a no-nonsense look, but he just sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. "Eyes." He gave her a single irritated glare, but shut his eyes nonetheless.

"Sing."

"What?"

"Sing for me. You must not be afraid to do what the situation requires. What if you are in the midst of a battle, and you must sacrifice getting hit to save a friend?"

"And you require me to sing so you can go to sleep?"

"Yes."

Nyx sighed, and made a face when he peered at her through one half-narrowed eye. "I don't know any songs, Loki."

"That is a lie."

"No it isn't. How would you know?"

"You hum songs in your sleep." Loki replied, effectively shushing her from any intelligent retorts she had thought up. "Please?" She glared. He pouted shamelessly. "Where I come from, women of royal blood learn how to sing at a young age."

"Well I don't come from where you do, and I'm not of royal blood."

"You are not certain of either of those things. Although I doubt you are Asgardian, or Jotun." He clearly strained over the last word.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, green eyes are of the most uncommon sights. It is near to impossible, if not, to come across a green-eyed Asgardian." Loki watched her for a moment, obviously referring to himself when speaking. He had green eyes, but he was not of Asgard. "And although blonde hair is common, yours is more.. Silver. That, I have not seen on Asgard." Clearly, he was not about to go into any detail about how she wasn't a Frost Giant.

"So you're basing this off of appearance?"

"Your personality does not fit either. You're too.. Observant, quiet. Not shy, but you keep yourself secluded, or so I have noticed. Agardians are known for being rather open, outgoing, proud, even." Nyx simply nodded in response. She found herself actually quite relieved she was not of Asgard, although she was not sure why. "Now, sing?"

"I'll hum. And you'll be happy with that." She said, giving him a look as if challenging him to protest. He sighed, but shut his eyes once more and kept quiet.

Nyx huffed and began humming something along the lines of a child's song. It was joyous to say the least, upbeat, and sounded quite soft coming from her, considering how many rude words she could speak from those talented vocals if she so pleased. Loki grinned faintly. Someone so bold, making a sound so pleasing.

It did not take long though. The God was exhausted, and even if he wouldn't say it aloud, he was overly grateful by her commanding him to sleep. Normally, he did not take to orders well, but simply shutting his eyes lifted such a burden that the slumber that came next was marvelous.

She didn't halt the tune until his breaths became heavier, slower, signaling that he actually was no longer conscious. She decided it would be a bad idea to stir, knowing that he would most likely wake and demand more music, and stayed where she was positioned; her legs draped over his, back propped up on a tree adjacent to the one he had claimed. His hand rested over hers in the tight space between them.

Finally, Nyx had time to think.

So, she wasn't Asgardian. That much had been pre-decided by Loki, and it would most likely be best to listen to his judgment unless he was proven wrong, as he had not been thus far. She didn't find any reason to muse over the idea of being of Jotunheim, as it was pretty self-explanatory; Nyx was extremely small in figure.

Actually taking a moment to consider the other realms, in which she did not have much of a clue about, she shook the thoughts from her mind. The race she seemed to relate to the most would probably be the elves of Alfheim, but even then she didn't know much about them, so she was in no position to make any assumptions. She would ask Loki about them when he woke.

Woke. _David_. What would they do when David woke up? He may or may not know what Nyx was, or have connections with someone who did know. She had a feeling her ex-father would not give up the answer to their questions so easily though. He would require a bit of prodding, a push, and a part of her knew Loki, and possibly the girl herself, would enjoy providing the required push.

**Voilà. Another chapter filled with just Loki and Nyx interacting, because it feels like I haven't written a chapter with enough of that in a while. And once again, this is only the second re-write of this chapter. I'm starting to think I need a beta reader. **

**^If anyone would like to be that wonderful editor, just message me and I'm sure we can work something out. I would prefer you've already written something yourself though, or some form of proof you know what you're doing. (:**

**Thanks for the support you lovely readers. I honestly appreciate every single alert/fav/review!**


	19. Memories

**Damn. I feel like a horrible person for taking so long, I hope you lovely individuals can forgive me. I've been on the road frequently, so again, I apologize. Gah, I actually had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, not sure why. Absolutely no ideas came to mind, so this is basically what I could pile up after hours spent sitting in a car trying to think of something interesting, and getting frustrated time and time again. Of course, when all else fails, a little bit of Loki backstory can't hurt?**

**Before I halt my rambling, I'm running dry with music material to listen to while I write. I require new stuff, and Tom's song-of-the-days are beginning to grow old, (is it possible?) so any suggestions would be much appreciated!**

**Annnnnnd.. The very troubling-to-write Chapter 19!**

Loki awoke multiple hours later than he should have, but he could not find himself to reprimand Nyx for giving him so much time for his slumber. He did, after all, feel completely rejuvenated. When he reached out seeking her, his fingers brushed the skin of her neck. She was warm.

"Good rest, Sleeping Beauty?" She said mockingly, turning to flash him a childish smile.

"You think I'm beautiful?"

Nyx watched him for a fleeting moment, but could only keep in her laughter for just that. It was shortly lived and Loki thought it was extremely comical, how her face was flushed when she finally regained herself. "More along the lines of pretty." The God smirked.

Brushing himself off of dirt that was clearly non-existant, seeing as he did not so much as flinch in his sleep; a rarity, he rose to his feet and glanced around the area that had chosen for rest. It was probably the thickest part of the brush one could stumble upon, and that would do perfectly.

Privacy was essential when they began to work David over on what he knew, or more preferably, Loki doing the interrogating and Nyx off somewhere else trying to get some peace at mind. After all, she had witnessed her very companion kill two men just the previous day, and that was not a simple thing in time one could wave off so easily. She was only thankful he understood and did not comment on her constant cringing every time she recalled the memory.

"I'm flattered, Darling." He turned to flash her a grin, an obvious streak of mischief coming over emerald green eyes for just a second, as he faced the other direction quickly. "Honestly, you should not have let me sleep so long. It is nearly night time. What did you do all day?"

Nyx shrugged. "It's nice to do nothing sometimes. Gives you space to think." Loki frowned, obviously not exactly satisfied with her answer, but quickly accepted he would not get anything more out of her for the time being. "Well, since we're both awake now, what do you want to do?"

"You must be hungry."

"I'm alright."

"When will you accept that lying with me will get you absolutely nowhere?"

"As soon as you start going along with my lies once in a while."

"That is not going to happen."

"Then I guess I'll just have to keep the lies coming." She smiled.

"I suppose we can begin interrogating David." Quirking a brow in her direction as if asking if she approved of this particular idea, she nodded.

"I thought you said he wouldn't wake up for a while?"

"Magic, Darling." He wiggled his fingers pointedly, earning a short laugh in return. It was such a childish gesture, but the comical relief was quiet refreshing to Nyx's young heart. He silently pondered what she thought of spending time around someone such as him, a grand age compared to hers. She hadn't shown any signs of discomfort thus far, so Loki didn't push her comfort zone any further. "Shall I?" Tipping his head towards the bush in which they had concealed the unconscious man.

She nodded, then rose from her spot on the ground and drawing her dagger purely for a sense of security. Well, maybe not fully for safety. Much of her found amusement in the idea of seeing his expression should he wake up to her wielding a blade inches from his face. Loki caught on to this considerably quick, and dragged the man's body out both shaking his head and donning that ridiculously addicting-to-look-at grin. "Alright. When he does wake up, would you like to do the speaking or shall I?"

"You do it. You're better at talking."

"I suppose." Loki replied, allowing the man's body to drop with an oddly satisfying thud. In the next moment, he was at her side, watching David through calm eyes. Nyx was not so good in that sense, calm, and could barely hold back from hissing colourful curses directed at the man. "Watch." The God commanded, merely raising two fingers.

A gasp of air was the first action that took place, followed by him sitting up reasonably fast all things considered. "You." He snarled upon catching sight of the dark-haired figure at her side. Once again, Loki raised a few fingers and the man was quickly restrained to a tree just behind him by some invisible force. "Where are my men?"

"Retreated or dead."

David watched the two for a moment, teeth grit and muscles tense. Much to her joy, he was realizing he did not have the upper hand in the current situation.

"I find that hard to believe."

"You do not have a choice but to believe it, David." Loki leered, a patently smug smirk playing on his lips. The man only scowled and did his best to form a glare, although Nyx nor her dark-haired companion looked neither fazed or intimidated by the least. "Now if you are satisfied with your answers, of course you would not mind if I asked a few questions?"

Brows furrowing as he racked his mind for a proper answer, maybe a witty quip to respond with. Or possibly an overused joke that would make him seem bold. Either way, he did not seem to find any purchase in his thoughts. "You can ask but you won't get any answers." That would have to do.

This time though, before Loki could speak, Nyx made a sound akin to a wince and forced herself to turn away. For a moment, David's courageous facade fell. He almost looked.. Concerned?

_We can always do this another time, My Lady. Just let me know and he will be asleep. _She heard his voice in her mind, and something about the soft tone eased her tension. That was what she needed, was it not? Just some time to thing, to even practice what she would say, to compose herself. She most definitely did not want to fuel David's defiant little defensive walls with her own incapability to keep strong. He did, after all, raise her. It was difficult still, convincing herself that he was the enemy even. No longer her father (never was), but a simple stock full of the answers both she and Loki wanted.

Nyx ducked her head once in a quick nod, and she could hear the faint thump from behind her, where he had put the man to sleep once again.

"Are you alright?"

"Great, yourself?" She replied, presenting him with a quick and easily forced smile.

"I never read you to be sassy." Quirking a brow, Loki finished shoving David's body back beneath the bush. Much to his delight, she did not complain when he kicked the unconscious man for good measure. He hadn't a chance to use his magic on the mortal just yet, and it was blatantly clear how eager he was, but upsetting her with even more violence was not something he wanted to deal with the aftermath of. "Your moods have been especially foul lately."

"I'm sorry Loki.. Seriously, I am." She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms. Her only thought was, completely,_ damn it_. How had things become so.. Dishelved in just a short amount of time. It was his fault. That was obvious. But she could not decide whether him showing up was positive or negative just yet. She even humoured herself with the idea of living under David's roof for the remaining teenage years she had left. Had Loki not come forth, that may have eventually been the case. Perhaps it was positive, that he had appeared. "Just a lot to think about, is all."

Nodding, the raven-haired God took a seat at the foot of one of the many trees once again, and did his best to offer a smile. "If you require someone to vent to-" He shrugged, "-I do not believe I have anything better to do."

Huffing, Nyx turned and bit her lip to keep a smile from surfacing. He could be so damn comforting. Just that irritatingly handsome trademark smirk was enough to lighten her mood considerably. "I don't want to bore you." It was becoming increasingly complicated to turn down his offers, what with how open he had been with her. It was like he was deliberately trying to knock her mental barriers down.

And succeeding of course. Loki wanted to know everything about her, clearly, but those defensive walls that kept him out stood between him and the information he craved. He was always the intelligent one. The one who could learn about anything. This specific skill had been acquired after years worth of time spent pouring over scrolls on just about everything, whilst Thor stayed occupied with his friends training in the art of battle. That was just him; always gaining more knowledge, and in that case, never failing to disappoint. Why? Because to the Aesir, prowess in battle and those who could master their skills in that area, were to be praised. The others, which were highly, highly uncommon, whom decided their interests lay in not brute force, but sheer intelligence, were practically shunned. Loki had always fallen into that category.

_"My Sons, I do hope you realize why you have been called forth at such a late hour." Odin spoke from atop the golden throne, clad in his plated armour, and gleaming with the sort of power only a king could emit. Before him, Thor and Loki stood, exchanging anxious glances every so often. Of course, neither had a clue why their father had woken them to speak. "It would seem trouble has risen on Alfheimr. I received a message just moments ago that their leaders are unsettled. The reason, I know not."_

_Loki quirked a brow and his gaze flickered to his brother momentarily, before falling back on their father. "What do you require of us, Father?" He spoke out, rising from his spot on the floor where he had previously knelt. Thor followed suit, raising and straightening out his sleeping attire; a pair of black slacks and a simple white tunic. _

_"One of you must go to Alfheimr and converse with the Elven leader in order to ensure that this trouble will not grow out any further. I need not deal with more feuds between realms." _

_"I will go, Father." Loki said nearly immediately, suddenly eager to be off to the other realm. Any chance he could get to represent his home world, and receive praise from his parents sounded overly tempting. He was, in fact, the proper one for the job anyways. Being the more intelligent of the two (that much was clear) had it's benefits. _

_While the allfather contemplated his son's offering through tired, glassy eyes, he turned to consult with Frigga, whom had taken her place by her husbands throne upon the brother's arrival. Thor frowned and spoke up as well, "I would wish to go as well, Father and Mother. I believe this job suits me well." What? He could not possibly be serious. Loki bit his lip and turned to get a glimpse of his 'golden' brother, emotions conflicting within emerald optics. He could not give him a single chance to please their father, could he? The younger prince shifted closer to his brother._

_"Let me do this, Brother. Honestly, it is no trouble, you may return to your chambers and sleep." He spoke in a whisper, concealing just how desperate he was by keep his eyes trained on the floor before them _

_"Nonsense, Brother. I am capable of completing this job as well as you." Thor said, although he did not turn to face him. Had he even glanced at the dark-haired prince, he may have caught him roll his eyes. There Loki was, the brother whom spent his days either studying in books of all sorts, or perfecting whatever caught his eye at the moment, whilst his brother spent his days in the sparring arena forcing their friends to succumb to his prowess in battle time and time again. Did he not understand this was a task of intelligence, not brute force? Of course he did not. His only thought was impressing their father, as was Loki's._

_"I have come to a decision." At this, both brother's looked to the seated figure attentively. "Thor, you will go to represent Asgard as a diplomat, and resolve any issues they have encountered." The younger prince ducked his head from view, and cringed._

_"Am I to accompany Thor, Father?" A final, and quite desperate attempt._

_"No Loki. You may return to your chambers and rest." That was his last push. His pitiful attempt. Loki muttered a simple 'Thank-you' and turned to exit at a reasonably fast pace. Behind him, Thor and the Allfather conversed over the terms of his brother's visit. What he would say to the people and such. He did his best to keep himself from simply turning around and shouting at the pair of them. It was so evident that he dearly wanted to finish this task! Thor's coronation was in mere days, yet their father would not even give him a chance to please him as only his 'perfect' son could._

_In the corridor, Loki surpassed the multiple guards, and upon entering his room through the highly decorated double doors of the more prestigious portion of the Asgardian palace, cursed colourfully._

_Regret. Regretting volunteering for the task when Thor was clearly the better representation of what Asgard had to offer. _

_Disbelief. Disbelief that their father was so oblivious to his pain as soon as he had made the decision. _

_Fury. White-hot fury, which resulted in him pounding his fists into the golden walls of his chambers several times, leaving clear dents. He would force the servants to fix them later. _

_Pain. Loads, and loads of pain. Another chance to gain their father's praise, and he had failed. _

_The only thing Loki could remember from the early morning meeting moments ago was the quick-as-ever, barely-noticeable, fleeting glance of disappointment Odin had looked at him with. _

_Again, the prince lodged a dagger in the nearby wall. He never got a chance to prove his worth, ever. Not while living in his brother's shadow. He loved Thor, more than anyone, not Odin, not Frigga, not their friends. It was the sort of brotherly bond one could not break. _

_Well the impossible had happened. The love Loki felt for his brother may have become fractured._

"Tell me about your past, Lady Nyx." Loki inquired, struggling to mask himself with a calm front after the sudden memory had come forth. It was a painful one, which had resulted in his own retaliation. He distinctly remembered the night he had shared the specific memory with Nyx, when he had taken her to her old home when they had nearly just met. When he had told her of his past. "If you are comfortable with it, of course."

"I guess it's only fair.. Right? An eye for an eye." She laughed a breathless chuckle, already knowing he would pick up the saying, what with the expanse of knowledge he had already shown. "Where would you like me to start?

Loki smiled. "From the beginning."

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I suffered through thinking it up. Writer's block hurts your brain, doods. **

**Thank-you all for the reviews/blahblah/blahfavouritesblah. Suggestions are always appreciated! I'll try to get up the next chapter soon, as long as I'm not occupied with my sister's sudden urges to roadtrip. For now, I hope this keeps you people satisfied!**


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